


Running Hot

by zephyr_iphis



Series: Nuzlockes [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Multi, Nuzlocke Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-02 12:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20276005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephyr_iphis/pseuds/zephyr_iphis
Summary: Sometimes in order to move forward, you have to look back. Or at least that’s what Latios says. So when the latest in a series of catastrophes sets her adrift, Ren tries to square with her demons and everything else, good and bad, that led her to this tipping point and plunged her over the edge.Ren’s story, as she tells it, is about love in all its many forms and permutations. How it soured and broke her, how it warmed and healed her, how it inspired and drove her, and how it’s carried her through—and may well again before the end.Three years ago, I decided to write a comic script based on my OmegaRuby navlocke and, as a challenge to myself, published the entire 300,000+ word story in a year flat. And on this, the second anniversary of its completion, I'm releasing a prose revamp. The original script version helped me immensely with my drafting and writing in general, so my plan is to essentially repeat my original writing challenge to boost my redrafting and editing skills in the same way. I don’t know if I can manage in it in a year like last time (especially since I’m juggling two other stories atm) but that’s the goal! Wish me luck!Updates Fridays





	1. There’s A Whisper Where Once There Was A Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Running Hot: An Omega Ruby Nuzlocke](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7989289) by [zephyr_iphis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephyr_iphis/pseuds/zephyr_iphis). 

> Huge thanks to my beta readers Fleenis, Manifold, and MouseWithADinosaurTail! This is quite a challenge and I'm so grateful for all of your help and support!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren and Latios discus how to move forward in the aftermath of a calamitous failure

Ren wakes in a cold sweat. Her head sways unsteadily with disorientation, her breath comes in gasps, and her heartbeat thrums in her ears. She touches her face and chokes back a cry, forces herself to breathe steadily now that she is no longer drowning.

She throws the sheet aside and slides off the top bunk, picking her way carefully around sleeping bodies and out into the hall. She pads silently through the Pokemon Center and staggers out into the night. It is still dark, but the moon is bright enough to see by as she leaves the hazy glow of street lamps and wanders across the fields.

The city fades behind her as she plunges heedlessly into the forest. She wends between the trees, arms outstretched to guide her through the dense dark beneath the dark canopy. Twigs crack under bare feet. Rough bark meets fingertips and brush drags at skin.

She stumbles into a clearing and her feet soon become soaked to her ankles in the wet grass. She stops. This is far enough—lonely enough.

Latios melts into the air beside her. He floats there for a moment, a being of aetherium unbound by gravity, before stretching out his hind wings and touching down on the turf. He flaps his forewings before settling them at his sides and leans forward ever so slightly so that his forepaws rest on the ground. Ren has never seen him sit before. Suddenly he has weight and physicality. Resting on the earth, he is a creature of flesh and bone like any other rather than an immortal god.

It’s comforting, in its own way, but also profoundly terrifying. They are balanced at the edge of a cliff with the wind at their backs and very soon now they'll have to jump.

“I thought we’d be able to stop it… I didn’t think they could get to me.”

_Nor did I_, he says in her head. She is struck again by just how vast his mind feels, enveloping her in its ceaseless flowing, but after Kyogre’s pull, it is a welcome reprieve.

But despite the tearing of every last defense, the starkness had revealed something new: a sense of connection that not even that first touch had given her. So maybe there was something left.

“Why did you choose me?”

_I thought you didn’t care about that._

“I thought so too, but now…” She takes a long breath. The night air is cool but not cold, misty but not an ocean of water crushing her beneath its weight. It soothes her throat in preparation for the fire. “I blew things sky high and everyone’s acting like it’s fine! But it’s not fine! I shouldn’t get off the hook for this just because I’m your partner! It was my screw-up!” She moves to pull at her hair and it’s like missing a stair when her fingers meet nothing but an inch of fuzz. She covers her face instead and ingrains the contours of the scar that has swallowed it into her palm. She can feel he has turned to look at her now, so she lowers her hands but stares off into the dark woods. “I know it’s done and we have to move forward. I want to trust that we can, but I’m having a hard time of it.”

_You must trust yourself first._

“Yeah, well, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that.” It’s too short—too final. It shouldn’t be.

_I know_, he says gently. She’s still surprised by it after how acerbic he was on their first meeting.

“I just thought it might help if I knew why—if I knew there was some reason for all of this.”

_I do not believe in fate._

She laughs. She has to. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s a big relief, in a way, just not what I was expecting from a god of cycles. You’re all about patterns. You’ve seen this all before, repeating over and over again.”

_Yes. But you forget, among the gods, only my sibling and I grow, age, and die. Each time I am born, I am not quite the same as I was in my last life. I am always changing, just as the world is ever-changing. I make choices that alter the course of things, be it the world or only myself. I partnered with you because the cycle is threatened, because it can be broken. We are no more destined to fail than we are to succeed. So I do not believe that fate brought you to me._

“But _you_ still had a reason,” Ren presses.

_I did and I have told you several of them._

“So that’s it?”

She expects a yes or a graceful dip of his head, but he is still and quiet and looks off into the trees for almost as long as she can take.

_There is one criterion that I have not mentioned before. Not only must my partner be willing to risk their own life, but also those of their pokemon, or rather, allow their pokemon to risk their own lives. This is harder. And such willingness cannot be born of ignorance. In other words, I would never ask this undertaking of a trainer who didn’t… know the cost._

The pain coils in her chest so tight that it turns her lungs to wood and the fire burns them.

“Do you think someone else will die?” she asks, quiet and even so as not to choke on the smoke in her throat.

_Nothing is certain._ It’s difficult not to grow frustrated with his platitudes, but she doesn’t know what she wanted him to say… And he’s right. _But that means that you may yet pull them through this. Know that I will protect them to the best of my ability._

“I didn’t think that was your area of expertise.” It comes out the way she meant it this time and the weight lifts just a little.

_Sometimes offense is the best defense. Wouldn’t you agree?_ And she can feel the wry smile in it to match her own.

She finally looks at him and his deep red eyes meet hers. Her hand lifts almost on its own and she catches herself just before it makes contact. But he leans into her touch rather than pulling away and she tunnels her fingers into the fur of his neck. It’s soft and dense and the skin beneath is warm.

“Thank you.”

He unfurls his wing ever so slightly to nudge her with his shoulder. _You are strong, Ren, in many ways. And your losses are not why I chose you. They do not define you. I saw something else, something singular._

“Well, are you going to tell me, or is it some big secret?” she teases.

_We are soul-bonded. There are no secrets between us. But you may not like the answer._

They were past that. “I still want to know.”

_Very well. Why did you become a trainer?_

Her hand fists in his fur. “Is this whole answer going to be more questions?”

_You don’t like being told things._

“Got me there.”

_There is value in coming to one’s own conclusions._ Her face wrinkles on one side and he nudges her with his wing shoulder. _You became a trainer for your pokemon, correct?_

“Yes, but it’s not as simple as that.”

_Then explain it to me._

She cocks her head and gives him her now lopsided skeptical expression. “You want my life story?”

_Speaking as someone who has seen it, I think there is much to be learned._

She sighs. “Alright. This is going to be a long night.”


	2. Start Me Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren moves to Hoenn and makes some new friends

Ren jolted awake but it was just the motion of the car. She slowly pulled her feet off the dashboard and stretched in what little space was left between the boxes. The hum of the wheels changed pitch as the car crossed a bridge over a broad estuary at high tide. Wingulls floated in the water and perched on driftwood while red and yellow shadows swam beneath the surface.

“_How long was I asleep?_” Ren asked.

“_Not too long, maybe an hour,_” her mother answered from the driver’s seat. “_We’re almost there._ And Anglic, please.”

“Right. I’m sorry, _Okāsan_. I was supposed to keep you company.”

“It’s fine, Renko. You needed the rest, and the drive has been very pretty.” She glanced over at her daughter. “Are you nervous at all? I know this is… much to ask of you.”

“…I guess a bit,” Ren admitted. “I mean, I haven’t even seen the house.”

“It’s very nice! You will love your room. The region is beautiful, and the town is lovely. Maybe you could work in the lab for a time while you sort things out…” She trailed off when she noticed that Ren had returned to staring out the window. “I want you to know that your father and I are grateful for how well you’re taking this. You’ve been such a big help, even if you may not be as excited as we are.”

“Aw, _Okāsan_, no one could hope to be as excited as you,” Ren teased, flashing her mother a reassuring smile. “I think it’ll be fun!”

“I think you put on a brave face for us. You are allowed to feel however you want about this.”

There was no use in denying it, so Ren took a deep breath before responding, settling her hands into her lap. “I just graduated. It’s a good time to pull up roots.” Ren fixed a smile on her face. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to visit Hoenn. I’m pretty hyped. And we’ll get to see _Otōsan_ all the time. This is so awesome for you two!” She squeezed her mother’s shoulder. “Try not to worry so much.”

> _When you asked if I wanted your life’s story, I rather thought you would begin it earlier. There are a number of formative incidents during your childhood you could have chosen._
> 
> “I thought you wanted to know the story of why I decided to become a trainer, not why I decided not to be.”
> 
> _We both know it goes back further._
> 
> “I—Well—I’ll get back to them when they become relevant.”

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Ren sprawled on her bed, taking in her new room. The ceiling sloped with the roof and the beams were left uncovered. She stared upward with her arms behind her head and thought about stringing up a hammock between them. 

Asuka popped her head in the open door.

“How’s it going, Renko?”

She gave her mother a thumbs up without looking over.

“I am going to the Birch’s house to help Nikau,” Asuka continued. “I was hoping you could stop by the lab and gently remind Prof. Birch that we are having dinner together. I think he is like your father and gets very wrapped up in his work.”

“_Hai,_” Ren responded distantly, still staring at the beams above her.

Asuka lingered for a moment, studying Ren’s face, then left. Ren caught up with her on her way out the door and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her mother smiled and turned towards the neighbor’s house while Ren headed down her new driveway to the road.

She walked along the main road through the small town, if it could even be called that. It was more a collection of houses and a general store than a proper hamlet. Still, it was charming in it own way. There were flowers in front of almost every house and lots of modest vegetable gardens. 

Littleroot Labs was by far the largest building and starkly modern in contrast to the quaint houses, so it was easy to find. But Prof. Birch wasn’t there. He couldn’t be reached on his nav but apparently wore a tracker when doing fieldwork. One of his grad students, Angela, pinged it for her, and it showed that he wasn’t far out of town close to Trainer Route 101, so Ren decided to go. 

Like many of the trainer routes in Johto, the path quickly diverged from the road, which made it feel wild and quiet, a far cry from the suburbs of Kogane. It was old too, packed hard, winding and natural, but overgrown where it ambled out of the trees into a great grassy meadow. Most of the wild Zigzagoons, Taillows and Wurmple scurried away at the sight of her, but a few paused to look her over before fleeing or just ignored her altogether. 

Ren was watching a Taillow catch a dragonfly in the warm evening sun when she heard a cry. She couldn’t see the source, but it sounded distressed, so she ran towards it and nearly tripped over a shoulder bag in the tall grass. She picked it up and kept running. 

She found Prof. Birch on the ground with an angry Poochyena viciously shaking his pant leg. It was almost comical at first, seeing such a broad, strapping man at the mercy of something so small, but the peril was real. The Bite force of a pokemon with jaws and teeth like that could crack bone.

“Hey!”

The Poochyena eyed her for a second, then continued savaging the professor’s pant leg. Ren took a step forward to stop it, but Prof. Birch yelled at her. 

“Don’t! I have pokemon!” He tried kicking at the enraged Poochyena to no avail. “In my bag—hurry—AHH!” He screamed as the as the Poochyena tugged harder.

Ren thrust her arm into the bag, pulled out a pokeball, and threw it, catching it easily as it bounced back from the recoil of releasing the pokemon inside. The red light formed into a Treecko that barely took a second to survey the situation before charging the Poochyena and smacking it in the face with his tail. 

The Poochyena rolled off, and Prof. Birch scrambled back. The Treecko planted himself between them and hissed. The wild snarled back and charged. He dodged smartly, but when he looked back at Birch for instructions, the Poochyena landed Bite and the Treecko flinched, leaving himself wide open for a Tackle.

“Oh, ah, Pound!” Birch ordered belatedly. 

The Treecko obeyed, swinging his tail at the Poochyena, but the wild pokemon caught it in its teeth and flipped its opponent with a heave. The Treecko landed heavily on his back, winded. 

“Leer?” Birch ventured.

The Treecko fixed the Poochyena with glowing golden eyes. The wild pokemon shook it off and lunged again, and the Treecko clumsily shoved it aside. Birch still didn’t even have the presence of mind to stand as the Poochyena chased his Treecko around. Ren watched for another moment before her face set and she stepped forward.

“You are faster than that thing!” she yelled to the Treecko. “Wait for it to charge, then dodge and use Pound!”

The Treecko’s eyes flashed to hers, then he tensed, waiting. When the Poochyena sprang, and the Treecko jumped over it, flipped in midair, and brought his tail down on the Poochyena’s head, slamming it into the ground. The Treecko landed gracefully just behind it.

“That’s it!” Ren yelled encouragingly.

The Poochyena got up and shook its head. The Treecko squared off with it on all fours, tail waggling.

“To the side this time!” Ren called, pointing for emphasis.

The Treecko dove towards the Poochyena’s tail and spun as the Poochyena wheeled around, teeth bared. His tail connected heavily with the Poochyena’s side, sending it rolling away with a wheeze.

“Now hit its back!”

Before the wild pokemon could get to its feet, he leapt up and brought his tail down on the Poochyena’s spine.

“Yes!” Ren cried, eyes alight.

> “I was so obvious to everyone but me, wasn’t I?”
> 
> _Yes. Especially to him._

The Poochyena shuddered, trying to stand, and Ren’s expression turned serious once more. “Pin its head and look it in the eye. You’ve won this fight. Let it know.”

The Treecko did as instructed, snorting into the Poochyena’s face as he pinned its muzzle to the ground with a hand. The Treecko held the Poochyena’s gaze until it looked away. He let it up slowly, and it slunk off with a whine.

“Great job!” said Ren.

The Treecko turned to look up at her in wonder and grinned broadly back. With the battle over, she realized just how striking he was—a light grass green with bright red stripes across his back, a pale belly, and a vivid blue tail. He also glimmered faintly in the dimming sun from a sprinkling of gold scales across his body that almost made her think he was a shiny.

“You okay?” Ren asked him.

He nodded vigorously, but his golden eyes stayed fixed on her even as she turned to check on the professor. She offered Birch a hand and pulled him up.

“Are you alright, professor?”

“Yes, just a bit shaken up.” He took a few deep breaths and patted his pants and coat. “I must admit this isn’t the first time I’ve gotten myself into trouble with a wild. Thank you for saving my neck, or should I say my leg. You must be Ren.”

“Once again, my reputation precedes me.”

“It certainly does!” Birch said with a smile. “You look a lot like your father. You battle like him too. Should have expected as much, I suppose.” His brow furrowed a little. “Only, I thought Senri said you weren’t a trainer?”

“I’m not, but I’ve been to trainer school, and I used to practice with _Otōsan_.”

Birch nodded. “You’re very good. I’m a terrible trainer as you’ve probably noticed. I always just panic and blurt out the first move that comes to mind, even when my leg isn’t in danger.” He straightened out his sleeves.

“Well,” Ren said carefully, “you are really good at your job.” She handed him his bag. “I’ve read of few of your papers. You do great work.”

“Thank you! And thank you again for the help.” He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a potion, and sprayed the Treecko, who shook, looking refreshed. “There you go. Thanks, bud.” He turned back to Ren. “I better get home. I was supposed to help my wife with dinner like a good husband for once.” He pulled out his device and tried to make a call. “Still not picking up,” he muttered to himself, then turned back to Ren. “I hate to ask a favor when you just saved me, but do you think you could fetch my son for me? His name is Kai. He should be just north of here on Route 103.”

“Sure thing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you so much! Hey, why don’t you take this Treecko with you? It can get a bit rough out here and you two seem to get along.”

Ren looked down at the Treecko, who wagged his tail twice.

“Will you be alright, professor?

“Yes! I still have a pokemon, and it’s not far.” He handed her the Treecko’s pokeball. “Dinner probably won’t be for a while anyway. We have to wait for Senri. So you two have fun. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ren. I’ll see you soon!”

“Nice meeting you! Take care!” Ren called after him as he hurried back towards town. She looked down at the Treecko. “Ready to go?”

The Treecko nodded excitedly and climbed right up to her shoulder as if she were a tree. She laughed.

They hiked onwards into the woods but before long she could smell salt on the air as she and the estuary wandered closer to each other. 

Slanted light gave away a clearing just off the path and they pressed through the brambles towards it at the Treecko’s insistence. A young man about Ren’s age was sitting next to a deep, round pool at the clearing’s center, talking to a Torchic and a Zigzagoon. The young man was broad and heavyset like Prof. Birch but had darker, nut-brown skin like Nikau, and the hair poking out from under his white beanie was straight and a good deal less sun-bleached than Birch’s unruly curls. Ren felt fairly certain she had found the right person.

“Really?” he asked his pokemon excitedly, scrawling something rapidly in his notebook. “Could you ask if she’s seen any recently, or maybe what time of year she's seen them?”

His Torchic nodded and back to the Zigzagoon, who was nibbling on something. They conversed for a minute in cheeps and coos and then the Torchic twittered back to him.

“That’s great!” he exclaimed. “We’ll have to keep coming back here for a while to see if we can confirm. Thank her for me, would you, Jay?”

The Torchic turned back to the Zigzagoon, but it had obviously spotted Ren and picked up its food before scurrying away into the bushes. The young man and Torchic looked up simultaneously, and he grinned brightly.

“Hi there!”

“Hi, I’m Ren Kosugi.” 

She offered her hand. He took it, and they shook before she pulled him up.

“I’m Kai, and this is Jay. It’s nice to meet you. Are you a trainer?”

“No—” Ren began, but she was interrupted by the Treecko’s gurgling. 

The Torchic chirped loudly at Kai and he looked down at her, then back up at Ren.

“Your Treecko says you are.”

“I already said I’m not,” Ren muttered quietly to the Treecko. “And he’s not my—”

The Torchic interrupted this time with an excited cheep.

Kai looked down at her. “Are you sure that’s Dad’s—” He looked back up at Ren. “Wait, did you say your name was Kosugi?”

“Yeah.”

“So you must be Senri’s kid!” he babbled. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t—I didn’t expect—I mean, I guess I just thought you were a guy?” He trailed off uncertainty.

“I’m not,” Ren said flatly.

“I guess so—I mean, obviously,” Kai corrected hurriedly, face flushing. He laughed awkwardly, suddenly unable to meet her eyes. 

Ren’s impressively thick eyebrows met in irritation as she tried to work out what that was all supposed to mean, but after a moment she decided to move past it. 

“It’s fine. Your father sent me and the Treecko to bring you back for dinner.”

“Oh, right, geez. I’m sorry about that. I turned off my nav because the notifications kept spooking my subjects,” Kai explained.

“I wanted to look around anyway,” Ren assured him. “We should head back though. It’s getting late.”

“Yeah.” 

Ren started walking but Kai lingered for a moment before jumping to follow her. They jostled through the bushes at the edge of the clearing and Kai stayed quiet, clearly too embarrassed to make further conversation.

> _Not the best first impression for someone you dote on so extremely._
> 
> “No, but I never really had the opportunity to get to know someone like him—someone like _me_—back in Johto. And I’m very glad I took the chance.”

Ren sighed to herself and took the initiative. “So you’re a trainer?”

“Yeah!” He perked up for a moment before getting quieter again and looking away. “I only just started.”

“But you can already understand your Torchic? That’s pretty cool.”

“Thanks! She’s the best.” Jay headbutted his leg affectionately, and he grinned at her. Ren watched them out of the corner of her eye and smiled a bit herself. “It was really awesome to actually speak with a pokemon after waiting practically my entire life…” There was another beat of silence after he went quiet, so Ren tried prompting him again.

“Do you help your father with his research a lot?”

“Yeah,” he said, smiling again. “I sort of grew up doing it, but now that I’m old enough, I’m an official research assistant. And because I have my own pokemon, I can do field work, which is the fun part. Jay’s really smart. She’s always helping me find rare variants and interview wilds. Like back there, that Zigzagoon was telling us it saw Rosy Wingull on that pond! Normally they don’t come this far west.”

Kai continued to babble excitedly about his work, and Ren allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. The sun fell into the trees, scattering warm color across their trunks. The Treecko hopped down off her shoulder to walk next to the Torchic. He burbled animatedly, and she peeped quietly back as they went. By the time the four of them reached Littleroot, the sun had set, and Kai guided them back to his house by the lights pouring softly from the windows.

* * *

The two families and their pokemon stayed around the table long after dinner was finished. Senri sat on one end, tilting back in his chair with his wife and daughter on either side. Ren was seated next to Kai. She had one arm on the table so she could see past him to the other end, where Prof. Birch was telling the story of his rescue, gesticulating wildly for emphasis. All laughed as he nearly fell out of his chair in the re-enactment.

“And I’m blithering out inane commands like an idiot, so of course my poor Treecko is getting his ass kicked—no offense, bud—and I’m just panicking even more. But then Ren steps in—thank Arceus—and starts telling my Treecko what to do. It worked instantly!” He snapped to convey the speed. “They had the wild literally beaten into the ground in less than a minute. I’ve never seen anyone turn a battle like that before. And this Poochyena already knew Bite, so it was no slouch. I mean, that should have been a tough battle even without the rocky start!”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Senri said, grinning. He made brief eye contact with his daughter, and she shot him an irritated look in return “She’s always been a natural.”

The Treecko chose this moment to climb up Ren and rest his head on hers, standing on her shoulders for support. She stopped glaring at her father and lowered her other elbow to the table, resting her head in her hands to make the position more comfortable. All were quiet for a moment, watching the pair smile at each other.

“What do you say to taking that Treecko off my hands?”

“Ehh!—really?” Ren responded with an embarrassed start.

“He’s a bit of a handful,” Birch admitted, “but he seems to like you already.” He had to stifle a laugh because the Treecko, who was clearly not following the conversation, had grabbed hold of Ren’s head so that he could nuzzle it with full force, thoroughly mussing her smooth, black hair.

“What do you say, Shima?” Ren asked the Treecko from under the hair coming loose around her face. The Treecko froze, eyes blowing wide. “Would you like to be my pokemon?”

The Treecko bounced ecstatically for a moment before leapfrogging over her head and landing on the table in front of her. He whirled around to face her, knocking over an empty glass with his tail and nodding frantically, whole body quivering with excitement.

“Well I guess you are then,” said Ren with a big smile.

The Treecko did a somersault, which sent some silverware flying, then jumped into her arms and nuzzled at her neck. After a moment, she put him back down on the table.

“Are you going to battle him?” Senri asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“I’m not—” Ren began defensively but snorted mid-sentence because the Treecko was furiously waggling his eyebrow ridges at her.

“He’s been around humans for a while now. He’s picked up a few things,” Prof. Birch explained, chuckling a little. 

“Is that what you are going to call him?” Senri asked. “_Stripes?_”

“I’ll think of something better!” Ren retorted with a flush of red around her ears.

“Do you think you could do me another favor?” Birch asked.

“Sure!” Ren answered belatedly, still a little pink.

“I know you haven’t decided what you’re going to do yet, but would you take one of my pokedexes and log the pokemon you see whenever you’re out?”

“That’s hardly a favor, Birch-san. I’d love to have a pokedex.”

“Great. You can come by the lab and pick one up tomorrow then. And you can call me Alan. We’re all friends here.”

“Of course, Alan,” Ren says, smiling. “Thank you.”

The Treecko climbed back up on Ren’s shoulder, while Jay hopped up and nestled herself between Kai’s arms on the table. Ren could feel everyone looking at her and tried not to hunch her shoulders. 

“Thank you so much for helping us unpack, Nikau,” Asuka said and Ren threw her a grateful look. 

“Of course! Turned out to be no trouble, anyway. We barely even needed the Machoke with Ren there.”

Ren flexed nonchalantly, so that it almost looked like a stretch, and the other two women laughed. 

“Yes, Renko has always been quite the hard worker,” said Asuka with a smile and Senri grinned. He shifted to face his daughter, draping his arm over the back of his wife’s chair to view her more directly. 

“So are you going to train him at all?” he asked, still grinning. “Seems like he has a battler’s temperament. You may want to register just in case.”

“I’ll think about it,” Ren grumbled and turned immediately to Kai. “So Kai, are you working on your own project, or is the research you’re doing for one of your dad’s projects?”

Kai leaned back a little to put a bit more space between them, but seemed happy enough to answer. Senri smiled and pet his Vigoroth’s head as he watched Kai and his daughter talk. Alan got up and started clearing the dishes away. The Vigoroth was happy to eat the leftover scraps off the plates while the Ursaring napped in the corner, snoring softly.

* * *

The next day the Treecko tried to help Ren unpack, but mostly he wound up bouncing around and climbing all over the walls with his sticky toe pads. Ren calmly moved things out of his way as she went along and tossed him a rubber band ball she found in one of her boxes. 

When she was satisfied with the progress in her own room, the pair headed downstairs and helped Ren’s mother put away the dishes and other kitchen things. Asuka unwrapped and directed while Ren filled the lower cabinets and the Treecko placed things on the shelves too high for the women to reach. 

They all took a break for lunch and after they were finished, Ren noticed the Treecko staring out the window, foot tapping absently on the sill.

“Hey, _Okāsan_, I think we are going to head out for a bit.”

“Of course, Renko,” her mother responded placidly over her shoulder. “Thank you for the help.”

The Treecko bounded ahead of her on Route 101. It was warm in the sun, but still a little cool beneath the trees. She wondered if every spring here would be so mild. 

The Treecko went rigid and tugged at Ren’s jacket.

“What’s up?”

The Treecko pointed at the Wurmple crawling out onto the path ahead of them, then planted a fist in his other hand with an audible smack.

“I’ve told you twice I’m not a trainer,” said Ren. “I’m serious.”

The Treecko just waggled his tail, grinning at her and she sighed.

“I know you think it’s fun, but’s dangerous because we’re not registered. Do you understand?” There was no recognition in his eyes. “A real trainer can take you to a Pokemon Center if something goes wrong. _And I’m not even sure I really want to…_” She trailed off as he gestured eagerly at the Wurmple again, which had turned to face them. It raised its hindquarters in obvious challenge. Ren’s expression softened for a moment and she straightened up.

“Alright, go get ’em, Shima!”

Ren braced as the Treecko vaulted off her shoulder and landed in front of the Wurmple. His feet had barely hit the ground when the wild pokemon String Shotted him in the face, and he staggered back.

“Keep your cool. Listen for it,” Ren instructed.

The Treecko crouched, eyes closed, and the Wurmple shifted, readying its stinger.

“It’s gonna try and sting you! Hit it with your left!”

The Treecko aimed a punch with his left hand and hit home. He used the contact to grab the Wurmple and flip it, quickly hopping on top of it. He held it down until it stopped struggling, then let it up, turning back to Ren as it slipped away into the underbrush.

“Masterful job, Shima! Hold still,” she said, smiling.

She kneeled down and peeled the silk off his face. His golden eyes blinked open and he grinned, looking satisfied. He climbed back aboard and they headed off again.

> “And that went on for days. We helped unpack in the mornings, and then he’d drag me out every afternoon on a walk and challenge every wild pokemon he saw.”
> 
> _Why didn’t you tell him no?_
> 
> “You know why.”
> 
> _Do I?_
> 
> “Because it’s in my blood, in my bone marrow. Because I love it.”

* * *

“Try not to jump around as much this time. These Zigzagoons are pretty good at getting you in the gut.”

He nodded, bounding forward as the Zigzagoon crouched, tail erect in challenge.

“And watch for the front claws!” she called as the Treecko dived at his opponent. “They’ll do a lot more damage. Try to get around back!”

He did as instructed, stopping just out of range as the Zigzagoon swiped at him, and jumped to the side instead. The two pokemon traded blows for a while and the Treecko started flagging, sides heaving as he panted. He didn't have the stamina to win the long game. 

“Get some distance and use Absorb!” Ren commanded. 

The Treecko backflipped, hitting the Zigzagoon’s nose with his tail and launched a ball of green energy as it recoiled. It staggered as its energy was sapped away and the Treecko wagged his tail.

“One more!” Ren called.

This time the Zigzagoon collapsed and the Treecko stood tall, looking exceedingly pleased.

“Great job, Shima!” 

She crouched and they high-fived, grinning. Ren pulled some jerky out of her shoulder bag and placed it in front of the Zigzagoon. It got to its paws and took the offering cautiously before slinking away just as Kai and Jay emerged from the grass behind Ren.

“You really are a good battler,” Kai said in wonder.

She whipped her head around and then tucked her hair behind her ear in an attempt to look a little less startled. “Thanks,” she murmured. 

“How come you two are out here fighting wilds?” Kai asked.

“It was his idea,” Ren said, jerking her thumb at the Treecko. He puffed up with pride and Kai’s Torchic tittered. Ren looked down. “I mean, we shouldn’t be, but he really likes battling. He gets so damn excited…”

Kai wet his lips and his hand flexed slowly, pinky to pointer. “Maybe it’s not my place, but when I saw you two battling just now, it looked… right? Like you’d been doing it for a long time already. And, well, it looked like you were having fun.” 

Ren shifted and grabbed her arm—she couldn't help it. Kai paused again, confusion taking over his expression. She let go, but still rubbed at it a little, unable to meet his eyes.

> “It hurt. It always does.”
> 
> _Even now?_
> 
> “Yes. Even now.”

Jay chirped at her. Ren blinked, not understanding what the Torchic wanted and looked to Kai for a translation.

“Jay says you should do what makes you happy, what feels right, and not worry so much.”

> “I just realized I owe Jay a lot.”
> 
> _How so?_
> 
> “No one had put it to me quite that way before. Everyone else was concerned with what I wanted or what was best for me. But how was I supposed to know that when everything was pulling me both ways? How could I decide? She made it simple. And I’ve been trying to follow that advice ever since, to follow my instincts moment to moment and trust that they’ll lead me well.”

Ren’s face brightened a little and she smiled at Kai and then his Torchic. “Smart cookie.”

* * *

Later that night, Ren lay on her bed with her Treecko resting on her chest. She pulled a hand out from under her head and laid it gently on her Treecko’s back. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

“So I’ve been thinking… how do you feel about ‘Tāraki’?—as a name, I mean.” 

He scooched up and booped her nose with his snout. 

She laughed. “So is that a yes?” 

He nodded and flopped his head down on her collarbone.

“Okay, Tāraki, I’ve also been thinking about what we’re going to do, you know?”

He rumbled against her.

“It’s obvious to me that you really want to be a battler. And I know I’ve been, um, sending mixed signals about whether or not I want to be a trainer. I really do like battling with you, but I…” She trailed off and sighed.

> “I should have told him then.”
> 
> _He knows now._

“The point is… I’m willing to train you.”

His head snapped up, eyes boring into hers.

“I mean, I’d be happy to train you. We can even challenge a gym if you want, I just can’t promise we’ll take the League Challenge or anything right now, okay?”

Ren spluttered as he launched himself at her neck, hugging her tight and rubbing his head roughly against her cheek. She giggled, trying to gently push him away.

“Tāraki!”

But he was having none of it. And eventually, she gave in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my other runs, I've always had the protag chose their pokemon, but for this one I decided to make it the other way around and that one decision continued to reverberate throughout the story and came to define Ren and Tāraki's relationship in a lot of ways. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have.
> 
> Kai has probably changed the most from initial conception to who he is becoming in this final version and I'm excited about it. I feel like I have a much better understanding of him now and I'm eager to see how that translates to his portrayal in this version. Meanwhile, Jay has probably changed the least. She just sprang forth fully formed and started doing her thing.
> 
> Characters:  
  



	3. In Another Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren's decisions slowly lead her down a path she seems reluctant to follow

Ren stood at the front desk in the Oldale Pokemon Center, flanked by her parents. Tāraki lay back on the counter, pushing himself up and down with his tail in what seemed to be his version of push-ups while Ren filled out her information. She signed her name and slid the tablet back to the nurse.

“Okay!” he said cheerfully as he checked everything over. “That should be it for the paperwork.” He handed Ren a square device that looked more like a mini laptop than any Pokégear she’d ever seen. “Here is your trainer card and PokéNav, which comes loaded with all of the basic apps and functions. You can buy anything else you might want online, and it will download pretty much anywhere that isn’t underground. Congratulations, you are now a registered trainer!”

“Thank you so much,” Ren said as Tāraki hopped to his feet and clambered up her arm to crouch on her shoulder, tail swaying.

“You’re welcome!” the nurse responded with a smile.

Senri leaned back on the counter to face his daughter. “I was beginning to think it would never happen.”

She shot an irritated glance his way and responded in Nihongo so that the nurse wouldn’t overhear. “_Don’t you dare be smug about this._”

“_Who’s smug?_” he said jovially. “_I’m just happy._”

“_Good, because Tāraki is the one who roped me into this._”

Senri looked no less pleased because of her harshness, and Ren turned to her mother, who was bravely was trying not to cry.

“_Oh, Renko,_” she said, hugging her daughter tightly, “_I’m so proud._”

“_Okāsan, arigatō,_” Ren chuckled, hugging her back.

“Well, I really have to get to work. I can’t wait to tell everyone my daughter is finally a trainer!”

“_Otōsaannn_,” Ren groaned, but he ignored her.

“See you later!” he called as he exited.

Ren snorted at him, and Tāraki filched the trainer ID out of her hand while she was distracted.

“You should go to the mart to get your supplies,” Asuka prompted. “I’m going to head home and unpack for a bit. Ahh, the joys of moving. I’ll see you for dinner, I hope?”

“I’ll be home early to help, silly,” Ren assured her, giving her a kiss on the head.

Oldale was small, but was still an actual town equipped with all of the amenities that designation implied like a grocery store, post office, fire station, and library. Ren wandered down the main street for a bit before striking back out onto Route 101. 

Tāraki bounded excitedly ahead of Ren on the trail for a bit, then climbed a tree and started leaping from branch to branch, flipping and twisting midair as his confidence built up steam. Despite his circuitous route, he inevitably outstripped her. He landed on a low branch and swung beneath it, hanging like a Zubat as he waited for her to catch up. Ren laughed at him and picked up her pace. 

A bush rustled near the path ahead of them and Tāraki launched himself into it before Ren could think. There were sounds of struggle, and a moment later, he came tumbling back out and landed on his face.

“Tāraki?”

Instead of a wild pokemon, Jay the Torchic emerged from the bushes with a disgruntled cluck. She cheeped angrily at Tāraki as he picked himself up. He made a quiet gurgle, looking moderately contrite. 

Pacified, she turned to Ren and chirped pleasantly.

“Hi Jay,” Ren replied. “Sorry about him. Is Kai around?”

Jay trilled loudly into the woods and Kai’s distant voice responded, followed soon after by the rest of him. 

“Hey Ren!” Jay peeped something to him before Ren could greet him. “Ha, sounds like him,” said Kai with a fond grin at Tāraki. But apparently Jay wasn’t done and she jerked her head at Ren this time. “Um…” Kai ventured uncertainly, clearly not eager to repeat whatever his pokemon was saying. Jay peeped stubbornly and jerked her head more forcefully. “Okay,” Kai muttered to her under his breath before looking back up at Ren. “She says she already told him, but you should also tell Treecko to be more careful because he’ll listen now that you’re his trainer—no she’s—” 

Jay interrupted his objection with an emphatic chirp. 

“Wait, that’s a PokéNav! So you are a trainer now?”

“Yeah,” Ren admitted. “We were just in Oldale registering.”

“Awesome!” Kai crowed. “What changed your mind?” Then more softly as he lost confidence: “Or maybe you always wanted to…”

“Tāraki talked me into it,” she explained. “And Jay is right, please don’t go pouncing on things without looking. There could have been a Growlithe in that bush for all you knew.”

“Not in this region!” Kai chuckled, then caught himself. “BUT, um, it’s great that you’re a trainer now! The only other trainer I know is your dad, and he is like super busy all the time but now we can battle and, uh, um, that is, if you want?” He seemed to notice his babbling and the rather discouraging expression on Ren’s face at about the same time and abruptly changed topic. “SOOO, Tāraki? His name is Tāraki?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, like a breeze, right? I like it. It really fits.” Kai looked like he might still implode from embarrassment and Ren finally cracked a smile. 

“So, what do you think, Shima? Ready for your first official battle?”

Tāraki hopped up, fist in the air, then flexed unimpressively. 

Kai remained dumb for a moment. “Oh! How about you Jay? Ready to take ’em?”

Jay trilled and tensed into a fighting stance, eyes glinting.

Kai tapped his PokéNav, and Ren followed suit. Once the battle parameters were set, the two began.

“We’ll start!” Ren called “Pound her legs, she’s only got two!”

Tāraki dove forward and spun, tail sweeping low.

“Catch him!” Kai commanded.

Jay reacted fluidly, grabbing Tāraki’s tail with one foot and spinning on the other. Her talons dug in as she used the momentum to fling Tāraki away.

“_Naruhodo! Ni ashi dake ga hitsuyo desu!_” Ren muttered, eyebrows raised. She grinned and her whole face lit up. “Alright, hit with your fist this time. Use your tail as a counterweight!”

Tāraki leapt forward again, too fast for Jay to dodge. She caught his punch, but he swung his tail as he wrenched his arm to the side. Jay hit the ground and released him.

“She’s open!” Ren cried.

Tāraki was already diving on top of her.

“Kick him!” Kai yelled.

Jay rolled onto her back just in time to meet Tāraki’s chest with both feet. Tāraki went flying, but flipped in the air and gracefully stuck the landing.

“Nice save, Shima!” Ren cheered. “Try a one-two combo.”

Jay caught the first strike but had nothing for the second and went sliding back, even more winded because she was holding on.

“Let her up and aim high this time!” Ren commanded.

Jay hopped to her feet, and Tāraki leapt up into the air for an overhead somersault tail-strike.

“Bring him back down!”

Jay flipped as Tāraki came down, catching him mid-air so that Tāraki landed on his back with Jay on his chest. He groaned, but when his eyes re-opened, they were full of defiance. He grabbed her leg, but before he could throw her off, she head-butted him. His arms fell to the ground, stunned.

“Alright, you beat us.” Ren conceded, still smiling. She crouched down as Jay hopped off him. “You okay, Tāraki?” 

The Treecko hauled himself up into a sitting position and grimaced, but gave her the thumbs up.

“Good battle,” Ren told him encouragingly. “Maybe just lay off some of the unnecessary flipping, at least when your opponent is almost as fast as you.” They smiled at each other, and Ren turned to Jay. “And you have some nice moves, my friend!” She offered her fist and Jay tapped it with a _preee!_

“That was a close match. You guys did great,” Kai congratulated them.

“Thanks!” Ren responded as she scooped up Tāraki. “I better go patch this guy up.”

“Bring him back to the lab! We have a health care machine there. No one would mind, and it’ll save you a bunch on potions and stuff.”

“I’ve never used one,” Ren admitted.

“I’ll show you!” Kai volunteered. “It’s super simple! I’m sure Jay could use a break too after that.”

“Lead the way,” Ren told him.

They started off towards Littleroot but barely got ten feet before Kai’s enthusiasm got the better of him again.

“Oh, and when we get back to the lab we can load DexNav and some other apps on your nav! You can even have some pokeballs if you want! You’re helping with the pokedex so it’s totally fine!”

Ren tried and failed not to smile at his excited rambling.

> “Of course, I hadn’t bought any pokeballs. But I couldn’t say no when it made him so happy.”
> 
> _And was that the only reason?_
> 
> “It felt like it. I held out for a while. But you’re probably right. Somehow I’m always working against myself.”

* * *

Tāraki was already hanging from the door, and Ren had to laugh at his impatience before caving to his wishes and setting out into a warm and misty morning. They had barely made it to the road when she spotted her neighbor setting out as well.

“Hello, Kai! Where are you off to?”

He stopped and waved, letting her catch up to him. “Just up to the pond off Route 103 and then over to the estuary. A wild told us that they’d seen Rosy Wingull in the area, and we’re trying to confirm if any migrate through the mid-continent.”

“That sounds cool. Tāraki and I don’t really have a plan. He just wanted to go out.”

“Oh, do you maybe want to come with us then?” he ventured, wringing his hands.

“Yeah! That would be great!”

Her enthusiasm seemed to soothe his nerves and his shoulders fell back down from around his ears. He didn’t say much at first as they hiked up the trail, but she started asking him questions about the local flora and fauna and soon he was rambling away with barely a pause to let her get a word in.

> “It was nice having such an expert to guide me around when I first got here. Thanks to him, none of it seemed so strange after a while.”
> 
> _I think perhaps I owe him something as well, for making you feel at home here._
> 
> “I probably wouldn’t be doing any of this without him.”
> 
> _Perhaps not._
> 
> “So will you let me tell him?”
> 
> _I will… consider it._

There were no Wingull—Rosy or otherwise—on the pond, so Ren strode up to its edge and looked down into the clear, dark water. “It looks so deep.”

“It is,” said Kai. “It used to be a quarry, a very old one, all pokemon excavation.”

She admired it a little longer, until Tāraki stuck his whole head in and blew bubbles into it, which made her snort with laughter. They settled some distance away so as not to disturb any wild pokemon who came to drink, and passed an hour or two with intermittent conversation, just watching the world go by.

> “He taught me how to record with the pokedex, so I could actually help a little with Prof. Birch’s pokemon distribution work, and showed me how to look up all kinds of useful things. It really is an amazing tool. And it’s always tough to not be at least a little interested with how excited Kai is about it.”
> 
> _I have always found the human desire to collect knowledge admirable and quite useful at times. It is one of the reasons Latias and I work with your species. Even existing as long as we have, we could never hope to gather as much._
> 
> “That almost makes me feel proud, but also pretty under-qualified.”
> 
> _Nonsense. Please continue. There must be a reason you found this day important._

An unusual Taillow caught Ren’s eye and she grabbed for his wrist. “Kai, what variant is—” The way he startled at her touch made her draw back immediately and cut her question short. He looked absolutely mortified, and her gut twisted up in knots. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he said quickly.

She couldn’t look at him. “I shouldn’t have—I wasn’t thinking.”

> “I wanted to leave it there. I hate exposing myself like that. But it felt like I owed him an explanation.”
> 
> _You are brave, Ren. You were afraid, but you did what you thought was right._
> 
> “Some things are worth the risk.”

“In Johto, we don’t use personal names unless you’re very close to the person. I guess I’m still getting used to it not meaning the same thing here.”

“It really is okay,” Kai said gently, and she dared to meet his eyes again. “I don’t mind. I just startle easy, that’s all. And I’d like to be friends. It would make our parents happy.”

She grinned. “Are yours bugging you too?”

“Lots of ‘subtle’ hints.”

They both laughed at that, quietly at first but ending loud enough to send a flock of Taillow from the trees. 

“Oops,” Ren said, still chuckling. “Should we head down to the estuary?”

“Probably,” he said, and she pulled him to his feet as if he wasn’t a good stone heavier than she was. “I’m still not used to how strong you are.”

“It’s the judo,” she said with a broad grin and flexed, patting her bicep. “And you’re one to talk.” She poked his arm as they started off down the hill. “I saw you scurry up a tree like a Sentret yesterday.”

“I like climbing. My dad and I used to go all the time.”

> “After that it was so easy. I probably should have known it was all going too fast, but I guess that’s just how I’ve always been.”
> 
> _I think it’s one of your finer qualities. But I suppose I don’t have the same sensibilities as a human._
> 
> “Well I think that’s a strange sensibility for an _immortal_, but thanks all the same.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the game, I ran out and got my first three teammates as soon as I was able, but in the story and this version in particular, I wanted to give Ren and Tāraki a bit more time with just the two of them. And I'm very happy with how that's given me some space to establish Kai and Jay better as well. I'm very happy with how he's turning out now that I have a better idea of what I'm doing. I also love that little pool on Route 103. The opening of the original Hoen games is very nostalgic for me, so I was delighted at how beautiful they made that location for the remakes. And they set two important moments with your rival there! So I really wanted to use it and have it mean something to the characters.
> 
> Characters:  
  



	4. All Down the Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team begins to take shape and a choice is made

“_Renko! Kai desu!_”

Ren scrambled up and slung her bag over one shoulder as Tāraki jumped to the other. Kai and Jay were standing in the doorway chatting with her mother when they came barreling down the stairs.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Let’s go!” she answered, pulling him out the door behind her. “_Itte kimasu!_”

“Bye, Mrs. Kosugi!”

“_Ki o tsukete!_” she called after them.

Ren only released Kai once they were on Route 101, and he took the lead as they plunged off it into the dense woodland. Tāraki skittered, climbed and jumped his way along in the most inefficient way possible while Jay trotted easily at Kai’s heels, tilting her head this way and that to carefully observe their surroundings. Tāraki wanted to challenge nearly every wild pokemon they stumbled across, but for once, Ren remained firm in her refusals, intent on reaching their destination without unnecessary delay.

Ren didn’t notice anything unusual, but Kai stopped and gestured for her to look. Quite suddenly, her mind picked up the pattern, and she murmured softly to herself in awe. What had at first seemed to be a mossy and fern-covered hillside was actually squared blocks of stone grown over by the surrounding forest, each nearly as tall as she was.

Tāraki scurried up them easily and shrilled back down at Jay to join him. The Torchic ran along its length to where the blocks marched into the turf and scaled the embankment that way.

“It’s called _Maioro Rahi_.”

“It does look like a big wall,” said Ren, marveling at the great tree that grew at the top, its roots snaking through and framing the stones below. 

“Stories say no one built it, that it’s always been, so it’s probably the result of volcanic activity.”

“It’s awesome either way. Thanks for bringing me out here, dude,” she said and nudged his arm to break the slack look on his face.

They walked around for a while to explore it from different angles and climbed the tree with Tāraki. This time, it was Kai’s turn pull Ren up, and she laughed at how embarrassed he got when she remarked on his strength. She cajoled him into an arm wrestling match and won handily, though he was probably still too flustered and afraid of falling out of the tree to do as well as he could have.

They wound up tucked against the base of the wall for lunch and chatted easily while Kai scratched in his notebook, and Ren lay back in the leaf litter, tracing circles across the canopy with the toe of her shoe. Jay flitted in and out of view, bringing back seeds and other small items for Ren to examine and Kai to explain while he sketched them. Meanwhile, Tāraki busied himself chasing Taillow and Wurmple from the branches as he swung around. 

Jay trilled, crest raised to full attention, and Kai squinted off into the trees where she was looking.

“Hmm. You’re right. Hey Ren, seems like a Poochyena has been watching us.” He pointed out a tree at a ways off which only partially obscured the wild pokemon. 

“It looks different,” Ren observed. The base color was the familiar cool gray, but it had a black stripe down its spine and many more scattered across its sides, legs, and tail. It still had the black mask and throat, but its paws were gray. From the stiffening of its posture, Ren concluded that it noticed them looking, but it didn’t move.

“It’s a Striped variant. Almost all the ones around here are Cloaked. That’s because Stripers are usually the result of a Manectric or Arcanine cross. You see them sometimes along the inner coast or from breeders. So either this one has traveled a long way or some asshole is releasing the pups they don’t want.”

Ren blinked at the unfamiliar anger in his tone and sat up. “Jay, would you see if it will talk to us? I’ve got some food left.”

That let off some of the tension, and Kai flipped to a fresh page in his notebook while Jay and the Poochyena conferred across the distance.

“She asked that we not approach and just toss the food to her, but she’ll stay for a while.” Kai repeated for Ren’s benefit. Jay grumbled beside him, and he hummed in amusement. “Jay also adds that she is ‘kind of rude.’”

Ren chuckled. “Understood.”

The Poochyena slunk closer but stopped well out of range, and Ren tossed her the promised berry and a stick of jerky to sweeten the deal. The Poochyena sat and accepted the food, but her hackles remained stiff. From this distance, Ren could see a notch in her ear, pale scars on her muzzle, and a break in her fur that must have been a long slash across her shoulder.

“She came from north of here,” Kai reported as he made notes for himself. “The only Stripers she’s seen were her siblings. Now there’s only her.”

Tāraki clicked and squeaked. The Poochyena’s hackles stood all the way up, making her look far larger.

“Don’t scare her off, Tāraki,” Ren admonished. “I know she looks like a great opponent, but you’re only allowed to battle pokemon who want to battle you, too.”

The Treecko harrumphed and flopped to the ground, flashing his pale belly. The Poochhyena ignored this probable insult and relaxed a little, fixing her red eyes on Ren.

“Did she get those scars from battles?”

The Poochyena continued to look at Ren as she answered, even though she was speaking to Jay.

“She says that’s how to survive. Pokemon draw strength from battling, but it’s risky… Wow, that’s a pretty good summary of the current research. It never occurred to me to ask a pokemon if they thought about it that way.”

“Would you like to train with us?”

> _What made you ask her?_
> 
> “She’d been through a lot, and she seemed… lonely. I thought maybe I could give her a family again. And there was something in her eyes too. I knew right then that she’d never give up, that she’d always be herself and live the way she chose. I guess I admired her even then.”
> 
> _That’s how you decided her name?_
> 
> “Yes, that’s why I chose it.”

Kai looked at her in surprise, and the Poochyena cocked her head.

“Tāraki could use a battle partner,” Ren explained.

> _So, not the answer you gave at the time?_
> 
> “No, not the answer I gave.”

Tāraki had stepped up to make the offer while they were distracted, and Jay stepped between them when he became incensed at whatever she said back.

“She wants to battle you and Tāraki first, because no matter how tough it is out here, she’s better off on her own than with a bad trainer.” Kai explained, then muttered to Jay: “I see what you mean about her being rude.”

“Sounds fair to me.” Ren stood. “Ready, Tāraki? 

Tāraki nodded, muscles coiling. The Poochyena crouched.

“It’s over when I say it is,” Ren warned. “Pound her left shoulder!”

The Poochyena tried to dodge, but Tāraki was faster and sent her tumbling. But to Ren’s surprise, she rolled right back to her feet and came straight at him.

“Aim low!”

Tāraki hit her front legs, and she flipped from the momentum. Tāraki slammed her belly while it was exposed, but she grabbed his tail, and sparks flew from her jaws. Tāraki fell to one knee, trembling.

“_Paralysis!_” Ren murmured under her breath, then aloud: “Watch out!”

The Poochyena took immediate advantage of Tāraki’s immobility and barreled into him. He was knocked back but landed on his feet.

“You’re not going to be able to outspeed her anymore. Absorb!”

The Poochyena slowed as her energy drained, and Tāraki managed to roll to the side in time.

“Let her come to you.”

Tāraki seized up as the Poochyena came at him, and the Tackle sent him sliding back.

“Backflip!” Ren yelled. 

This time Tāraki backflipped just as the Poochyena closed, hitting her jaws shut with his tail. She went reeling back and collapsed. Tāraki stood to his full height, readying an attack.

“Enough!” The force of it stilled him immediately, and he looked back at Ren. “Good job, Shima.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a paralyze heal. He hummed with satisfaction as the sparking stiffness left his limbs. “You’re an amazing battler.” 

Tāraki let out a gurgle that ended with “Ren.”

Ren smiled at him and then blinked as it dawned on her. “Did I just understand you?”

Tāraki gurgled.

“You said my name! I heard you say my name!”

“Ren!” This time it was as clear as day.

Ren squealed and swept Tāraki up in her arms, hugging him tight. 

“Ren! Ren! Ren!” he chanted, and she spun them around and around, tossing him higher and higher until he grabbed onto a low branch and stayed there.

“Tāraki!” she whined. “Come back down here!”

He snickered at her and stuck out his tongue, and Ren hopped around under the branch for a minute, full of energy but unable to reach him. She eventually calmed and turned back to the others. 

Thankfully, the Poochyena had stayed through their antics, and Ren reached into her bag for a potion. She kneeled down, and the Poochyena eyed her cautiously.

“Let me heal you up, okay?”

She didn’t look away but did lower her head slightly and let Ren spray her down. Ren pulled out a pokeball and held it up.

“What do you say?”

The Poochyena’s red eyes bored into Ren’s for a moment longer, then she stepped forward and pressed her nose to the pokeball’s button. She was swept up in a flash of red light before disappearing inside. The pokeball’s indicator flashed green, and her nav played a little tune.

“Was it just me, or did she use Thunder Fang?” Kai asked as Ren looked down at the pokeball, a soft smile on her face.

“Guess you were right about the Manectric heritage.” Tāraki dropped back down to her shoulder. “Think you two can get along?”

Tāraki made a show of considering it but gave her a thumbs up.

Ren released the Poochyena from her ball. “I’d like to call you Akahana, if that’s alright?” 

She nodded once, and Ren’s smile broadened.

“Welcome to the family.”

* * *

Ren and her pokemon wandered through wild woods with Tāraki hopping through the canopy while Akahana trailed by Ren’s side. She lifted her head in Tāraki’s direction and let out a muffled woof. He replied with a smug negative. Soon enough, the trees began to thin, and sunlight thicken ahead of them. Balmy air swaddled them as they emerged onto open fields of grass. Kai sat on the bank of a large pond beside tall bullrushes and squat sedges that looked like tiny _Nassy_. Jay lay napping at his side but lifted her head as they approached.

“Hey Kai! How’s it going?”

“Good! Jay and I did some battling this morning. How about you?”

“We did some drills.”

“I feel great!” Tāraki piped, bouncing to and fro while Jay eyed him wearily.

“He’s still pretty hyped up.” Ren explained and sat down next to Kai, close enough that she bumped his shoulder as she settled. “Whatcha working on?”

Kai reddened and pulled his white beanie down a bit but tilted his notebook towards her. “I’ve been counting and sketching the different Masquerain variants on this pond. See, Masquerain sort of mimic their predators—mostly birds or other bug-types in the area. So, unlike most variants, they tend to overlap, and you often see several on a single pond.” He pointed them out to her. “So far I’ve seen Ninja, Kite, and Pale.”

“These are great,” said Ren, leaning in to see better. “You draw so well.”

He reddened even further. “Not really…”

Ren elbowed him. “Just take the compliment!”

“Okay,” he murmured quietly. “Thanks.”

“So many!” Tāraki exclaimed. He grabbed at Ren’s shirt. “Can I battle a few? Can I? Please!”

Akahana’s brow lowered, and her tail gave a derisive twitch.

“Aka’s right. Those things have a double type advantage on you. It’s one thing to battle Wurmples, but those mons have evolved. Maybe when we’ve trained a bit more.”  
Tāraki groaned and danced from foot to foot before suddenly perking up again. “What about a Surskit? I could totally take a Surskit!”

“That’s a better match up. Do you mind, Kai? I don’t want to mess up your work.”

“Nah, I’m done here.”

Ren surveyed the Surskits skimming across the surface of the pond, and a gleam caught her eye. It came off a Surskit’s cap that looked more like brass than the pale yellow of the others and framed a bright red spot on its forehead.

“What kind is that one?”

Kai squinted at it, then whipped out his pokedex. “I’m not sure. It looks kind of like a Ninja, but that doesn’t explain the red spot.” He went back to looking through the identification photos. “That’s funny, there’s a different Ninja variant in Kalos that it resembles a bit too… See, the problem is that it’s hard to tell when they’re Surskits. The mimicry hasn’t fully developed. When they evolve—”

Ren threw out a hand to cover his mouth, and he went red again. The Surskit in question had noticed them staring at it and looked very nervous.

“Tāraki,” she said quietly, “why don’t you ask it nicely for a battle?”

Tāraki took a step towards the water and called out to the Surskit. “Want to battle with me? My trainer will heal you and give you some food!”

It glanced around in confusion and skittered back a bit, politely declining. 

“Aw, come on! You have a type advantage.” 

It stopped backing away and considered. Jay trilled and buffeted Tāraki with her wing, but he just snickered. Akahana sighed and rolled her eyes. The Surskit took a half step out and chittered.

“My trainer wouldn’t let me kill you,” Tāraki responded. “Right, Akahana?” 

She gave a nod, and the Surskit skimmed up slowly, pausing near the bank.

“Took a little convincing, huh? Let her make the first move.”

Tāraki readied himself, and the Surskit crouched. The stinger atop her head glowed lime-green, and she launched herself at Tāraki. He dodged but she kept jabbing until she hit his tail. He fell on his side. 

“Spin!”

Tāraki spun, righting himself and knocking the Surskit off her feet. She responded by spinning on her stinger like a top and slashing him with her feet.

“Get out of range and use Absorb!”

Tāraki backflipped away and fired off a green orb. The Surskit slowed and rolled back onto her feet.

“Nice! Now Pound!”

Tāraki leapt forward, but the Surskit countered with another Fell Stinger. Tāraki shuddered again.

“Her side!”

This time Tāraki was fast enough, and the Surskit went rolling away. She slumped, and Tāraki jumped over to her, placing a hand on her head. She looked at the ground, clearly defeated.

“Nice job!”

Tāraki let her up, looking pleased with himself, and the Surskit began to shuffle back towards the water.

“Hey wait! Don’t you want some food or something?” Ren called. “Tāraki got you pretty good. Come sit by us for a bit at least so you can recover.”

The Surskit turned back, and Ren fished a berry out of her bag, placing it on the ground a few feet away from her. Tāraki sat down beside her and gestured encouragingly to the Surskit. She looked cautiously up at them, and Ren smiled. Akahana grumbled lowly, and Jay nodded in agreement, causing the Surskit to hide her face.

Ren worried for a moment about what they might be saying, but when the Surskit uncovered her face, she seemed happier and settled down to eat. 

“She really is between the two,” said Kai now that he had a closer view. “She could be a mutt. It’s rare, especially in species like Masquerain, but it can happen.” He continued to explain variant mechanics, and Ren only half listened while she watched the pokemon socialize.

> _And what made you ask her?_
> 
> “For a pokemon so skittish and fearful, she seemed almost desperately glad to have company to talk to. And that felt odd to me, with how many Surskit were around. I realized her looks must have made her stick out sorely, and I know how tough that can be.”

“Would you like to train with us?” Ren asked out of nowhere, startling everyone. “You seem a little shy, so maybe it isn’t your game, but I think you could be a battler.”

Tāraki passed this on, and the Surskit stood up, clearly disbelieving, and looked to Akahana for confirmation. The Poochyena seemed quite surprised as well but nodded. A tremble went through the Surskit but she stilled herself and marched up to Ren. She nodded fiercely and met Ren’s eyes for the first time.

“Awesome! Welcome to the team!” Ren held out a ball, and the Surskit tapped the button and flowed inside.

“Are you building a team now?” Kai asked. 

Surprise and confusion passed over Ren’s face before her eyes narrowed and her jaw set. “Maybe I am!”

* * *

Ren walked up an embankment through the gently swaying reeds surrounding the estuary, carrying Tāraki in her arms. Iki the Surskit perched on her head, and Akahana trailed in her wake. Her eyes scanned the open space along the edge of the treeline. There was a Wingull with a pink underside sitting alone on a low branch about a field-length distant, and Ren stopped in her tracks to focus on it.

“Is that the Wingull variant Kai has been on about since I met him?”

“Well, um, did he say they were pink?” Iki piped, trying to be helpful.

“Rosy!” Ren confirmed and started tromping towards it. She felt Iki’s feet dig into her hair. Ren paused again at a respectful distance away to snap for Kai. “Could you ask it to talk to us for a bit?”

Iki hunkered further down on Ren’s head, though there was little chance it would make her metallic cap any less conspicuous. 

“Relax, little bug, you’re with us now,” Ren reassured her, glancing up with amusement. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Iki fidgeted but called out a greeting to the Wingull.

“She says sure.”

“Great! I just hope Kai hasn’t turned off his nav… again.”

> “It was quite a conversation. She told us all about the places she’s been and the things she’d seen. She told us about her colony and the chicks she’d raised, about her partner that fell prey to a Sneasel…”
> 
> _And then she asked you._
> 
> “Yeah, and it surprised me, but I suppose she wanted to start a new chapter.”

An orange sunset settled in over the trees behind them, casting its warm glow on the water below, by the time Kai came running with Jay in tow.

“I came as soon as I got your message!” he called across the shrinking distance. “Is it still there? Did you—”

Ren gestured to the Wingull on her shoulder. “No worries, dude. I got you.”

Kai squealed in delight, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a moment until his exertion caught up with him and he had to take a minute to catch his breath, hands on his knees. 

“Kai, meet Panahi,”

“You caught her?”

“Yep! So let’s hold off on the interview until tomorrow. _Or_ you could just read through my notes,” she said with a wink.

Kai sighed, melting on the spot. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” she said with a toss of her hair and then slipped her hand under his arm to pull him home.

> “OH. Oh, wow. I’m such a _bakayarou_.”
> 
> _Yes, I noticed some time ago._
> 
> “Shut up.”

* * *

Akahana snarled, white teeth bared and black hackles raised. The big Zigzagoon opposite her shrank back ever so slightly before rushing her. The rest of the team watched Ren direct her from a nearby branch. Tāraki sat in the middle, allowing Iki to keep her distance from the new flying-type. Kai and Jay approached as Akahana lunged, sparks flying from her jaws, and grabbed the Zigzagoon by the shoulder. She tossed it, and it landed heavily on its side, legs too clumsy to catch it as the paralysis set in. It wisely stayed down.

“That’s my girl.” Ren stroked Akahana’s head. She offered a pair of berries to the Zigzagoon, who took them gladly and shuffled off into the underbrush.

Kai was still slack-jawed when she turned to greet him but stiffened when she met his eyes. The silence dragged as she looked him over, and her eyebrows met in puzzlement when he started to fidget. 

“You alright?” she finally prompted.

“Yeah! Of course!” It was way too eager, not his brand of eager. “You’re all just improving so much! It’s kind of amazing. Not that—I mean you obviously know what you’re doing, and you’re really good at it, so I totally expected it. It’s just something else to see it, haha.”

It almost sounded like he was jealous, but she didn’t quite believe that. He’d won at least half their matches, and she was more than happy to teach him.

“We should train together some time. I’m sure Jay has a few moves she could show these gals.”

Jay puffed up a with pride, but Kai only looked more nervous if anything. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not sure we’ll have time. Jay and I should really start packing and stuff.”

She blinked, and her brows set even lower. “You’re going away?”

“Yes, well, yeah…” He cleared his throat and tried to force his tone into something more nonchalant. “We’ve got plenty of data on the area now, and there are a lot of other locations we’d really like to check out. We were actually planning to leave earlier, but then we were waiting to see if we could confirm the Rosy Wingull sighting and we already did that a while ago, so, um, yeah.”

“When are you leaving?”

“As soon as we can get everything in order. So, like, the day after tomorrow probably.”

For a moment, Ren couldn’t control her face but then she wrestled it into her best attempt at a smile. “Aww, I’m gonna miss you, dude!”

“Wha?” he blubbered. He swallowed before trying again. “Uh, yeah?”

“Of course I am, you dork,” she said softly. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

He started fidgeting again and stared at the ground. “Yeah.”

Ren spread her arms. “Come here.” He didn’t move at first, but he had said it was okay before, and she chose to believe he had meant it, so she didn’t wait. He went rigid for a second but hugged her back. She straightened up and took hold of his shoulders, unable to let go as fast as he did. “Give me a call every once and awhile, alright?”

He tried to smile. “Sure.” She released him, and he edged away. “Ah, we should get going. Good luck with your training!” he called over his shoulder as he fled. 

Jay nudged Ren’s leg, which wrenched her eyes down. The Torchic offered her a comforting rub and quiet little coo. Ren smiled back to reassure her, and Jay left, following in Kai’s wake.

* * *

Ren dried her hands after finishing the dishes while her mother continued to prep food for the next day. Ren sat back down at the table with her chin propped up by a hand her hand and groaned. Her father was sitting around the corner in the living room, reading a newspaper with his legs resting across his Ursaring’s back.

“I’m sorry to hear that Kai is leaving so soon,” said Asuka. “He’s such a nice boy.”

“_He talks too much, but I’ll miss him anyway._” Ren muttered back in Nihongo.

“_You know, you keep saying things like that, but I’m not sure I see it. He’s always perfectly charming when I speak with him._”

“_I know. It drives me a little crazy actually. He’s so different when it’s just the two of us. He’ll be blabbing non-stop and all the sudden go painfully quiet. It seems like he’s having fun and then… I don’t know. Maybe my Anglic isn’t good enough._”

“Your Anglic is perfect,” said her father without looking up.

Ren rubbed at a spot on the table and said nothing. 

“Did you know he was taught at home?” her mother asked. “His parents took care of his schooling, and he may not have had many friends his age before. Maybe he is not sure how to act around you.”

“He doesn’t have to act any different! I’m not—” She groaned and slumped over the table. “_You’re right, Okāsan. I’m just annoyed he didn’t tell me sooner._”

“_That’s fair. But for what it’s worth, I’m sure he didn’t mean to upset you. I think he’s very fond of you._”

> “She knew. Of course she did. Okāsan knows everything.”

“_Arigato, Okāsan._” Ren threw her mother a little smile and headed upstairs.

She could hear her parents’ muffled voices talking quietly as she and her pokemon spilled into her room and prepared to sleep. Ren changed into her pajamas while Akahana turned circles on the mini futon in the corner, and Iki climbed the dresser to her cushion. Panahi fluttered up to a padded basket hanging from one of the beams, and Tāraki hopped up on the bed. Ren leaned back against the edge of it, not quite sitting.

“So, I’ve been thinking, maybe it’s time for us to travel too.”

“We going after your boyfriend?” Panahi cawed wryly from the rafters.

> “Okay, Ahi doesn’t count because she would have said that no matter what.”
> 
> _That may actually be true._

“And here I was getting all hyped because I could understand you already.”

“I’m sorry, Honey. I was just getting used to my new nest. But if that’s how it has to be, then that’s fine, I suppose.”

“Aw, you old fuss-pot. We can bring your bed with us. I’ll get a vapor box. But anyway, the actual reason is we can only get so strong if we stay. We’ve had, what? Two—three trainer battles that weren’t with Kai? With him leaving, we can’t have regular matches.”

“What about your father’s gym?”

“I thought we could do the Rustboro Gym first. That’s where Kai is going for his first badge, and I don’t want to miss it.”

“I didn’t mean for the badge—” Panahi started but Ren was already trudging onward.

“I think we’re good enough to support ourselves, and I’d like a little income of my own. Besides, there’s a whole region out there. That is, if you’re all okay with it?”

They were all quiet for a moment, and Panahi regarded her carefully with one golden eye.

“Didn’t think a trainer would ask,” said Akahana.

“It’s nice of you!” Iki jumped in. “If you think we’re ready, then we are.”

“Let’s do it!” crowed Tāraki, hopping around the mattress. “Back on my island, there was nowhere to go and now there’s a whole continent to see! It’ll be so awesome!”

“I already said I’m down for whatever,” Panahi offered.

“What do you think, Aka?”

“You’re right. We won’t get much stronger here.”

“Thanks, gals.”

“So when are we leaving?” asked Tāraki.

“It won’t take long to get everything together and do a bit of research, but we’re not going anywhere for at least a week. I don’t want to spring this on _Okāsan_. I’ll tell them tomorrow, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Everyone took that in stride, even Tāraki, and Ren left to brush her teeth before climbing into bed. Tāraki curled up next to her, and she finally drifted off to the sounds of her team’s snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Navlockeing turned out to be really fun and lead to some unique catches. I’m so glad I did it. I was very determined to use all of the new features and I think it resulted in a lot of good world building and fun stuff in the narrative.  
I’m also just so happy to have some more of the crew debut again. I fell in love with all of these pokemon and it feels great to be writing them again.
> 
> Characters:  
  



	5. Child of the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren sets out on her journey and helps a fellow trainer

The car rumbled softly into a space behind the Petalburg Gym, and Senri climbed out of the driver’s side. Ren paused for a moment to marvel at the solar parking lot and scuff her new boot against its textured glass surface. They were still stiff, and she was not looking forward to how sore her feet would be by the end of the day, but she liked the look and weight of them. 

Kenta emerged from his ball, and Tāraki bounced excitedly beside the Ursaring as they walked around to the front. The hulking pokemon yawned, then murmured some doubtless sage advice from his own journey with her father. Tāraki listed with unusually rapt attention, eyes glued to Kenta’s grizzled muzzle. She was going to miss him. 

Ren wondered if everyone was in yet and how long this would take. Barry was already at the front desk settling in, and Lei walked out of the changing rooms with their Persian. 

“It feels like you just got here, and you’re already on your way!” they complained, but they were smiling. “Are we finally gonna battle when you come back for the badge?” 

“Depends how much you train,” Ren shot back with a grin.

Lei laughed. “She’s your daughter alright!” 

“That she is.” Senri ruffled her hair. She almost threw him but shoved back the impulse and brushed him off instead. “I’ll go get your things.”

He went back, and a few of the other trainers offered her congratulations and goodbyes. Kenta nudged her when Barry left for the bathroom. 

“I’ll be careful,” she told him.

“You are careful,” he said with a chuff.

There was a lot she wanted to say to him, but for a long moment nothing came to the surface. Then something old surged up from the depths, a memory she thought she had forgotten. “I—I’m sorry it took so long.”

“We evolve in our own time, little cub. I don’t hold you to the things you said when you were cave-bound. I’m just glad to see you smiling again—feel the warmth pour out of you like a campfire. I’m grateful for every day you live and every step I see you take. Doesn’t matter the direction.”

Ren dropped to her knees and slung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his soft, thick fur. He put an arm around her, and she was safe again.

“_Watashi wa Kenta-sensei ni hibi to gyōseki karite iru subete._”

“I have no regrets,” he returned and hugged her tighter.

> “Kenta talks even less than _Otōsan_ but he always knows what to say. I was lucky to have so many parents.”
> 
> _They have certainly been a formative—and positive—influence._

At last, she dried her eyes and let go of him. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Good. Ready to say goodbye to the others?”

Ren smiled. “Yeah.”

Tāraki climbed back up her shoulder, and she scratched under his chin as they went back to see the rest of her father’s team. The old Tauros nearly knocked her off her feet as she came in only to be snatched to safety by the Ambipom. The Blissey and Kangaskhan nearly smothered her between them. Even the Vigoroth gave her a fond pat with his claws, only to sulk away when the others poked fun at him. The rest of the crew didn’t know her as well, and she couldn’t understand them, but they wished her well just the same.

Then it was time to leave, and she returned to the lobby with her father.

“Senri, Mr. Scott is here to see you,” Barry called as they entered. A middle-aged man and green-haired teen were waiting with him by the front desk.

“Good morning, Charles! Wally, how are you?” Senri greeted them.

“Very well, thank you, sir,” the boy answered. He was almost eerily pale and didn’t look terribly well but held himself with a certain kind of poise. It made him seem taller than he actually was. He was small—only as tall as Ren—and slighter with delicate features to match.

“Oh! Introductions! This is my daughter, Ren.”

Mr. Scott shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, young lady.”

“I should have introduced you two a while ago,” said Senri while Ren shook Wally’s hand. “I wasn’t thinking. Ah, maybe it’s just as well. When’s the big move? Soon, no?”

“In a week, sir.”

“Excellent. So, what can I help you with today?”

“I got my trainer license.”

“Wonderful, let’s see it!” Senri beamed. Wally fished it out of his shoulder bag and handed it over. “Look at that photo! I’m jealous. My first made me look like a convict,” Senri chuckled as he returned it. “Well then, let’s go in and meet the greenhorns. I’m sure you’ll find someone suitable.”

“Actually, sir,” Wally stopped him, “I was hoping for a loan. I want to catch my first—my service pokemon.”

“Oh?” Senri said as his mind worked. Then something flickered over his face, and he tried not to grin. Ren knew that look. “Very Good! Now let me see, who can I give you…” He pretended to think it over for a moment, and Ren figured what he was up to before he opened his mouth again. “Actually, Ren, would you mind helping Wally with this?”

“Sure.”

> _That was surprisingly quick._
> 
> “I knew he had to have a good reason. He was more excited than I was for me to set out.”

“Great! Ren has already caught three pokemon so you’re in good hands, Wally. I’ll see you two later.”

Senri ushered Mr. Scott further inside, throwing Ren a wink over his shoulder. Once they were gone, Wally shifted and wrang the shoulder strap of his bag between his hands.

“Thank you for helping me. I hope this isn’t getting in the way of anything.”

“It’s no problem,” she reassured him as they walked out. “I don’t have a schedule to keep.” He accepted that, and she gestured towards Route 102 since it was closest. They walked in silence for a bit, and he pulled his cardigan sleeves down over his hands.

“So, why do you want to catch a wild to have as your service pokemon, if it’s okay to ask? Are they expensive here?”

He wrung his bag strap again before answering. “Um, the truth is I don’t want a service pokemon—well I do. I’m going to live with my aunt and uncle, and my cousin is a breeder, so I could have gotten one from her—and I still might—but I want to be a trainer. I always have. But, um, I’ve never really been healthy, and my parents wouldn’t let me try.”

“So we’re actually out here to get you a battler?”

“Yeah,” he responded meekly and twisted his bag strap even more.

“Hey, don’t worry. I won’t Rattata you out or anything. But why not just take one of _Otōsan’s_ trainees or your cousin’s pokemon and battle them?”

He reached up and held the carved wood pendant hanging around his neck and rubbed at it with his thumb. “My parents have a point. I don’t know if I _can_ be a real trainer, so I set myself a test of sorts. If I can get a wild pokemon to respect me, show enough potential that they decide they want to be my partner, then maybe I can do it.”

Ren nodded, and Wally looked taken aback by her acceptance. “It makes sense to me. I mean, it does feel like you're being a little hard on yourself, but you’ve clearly given this a lot of thought. And I don’t think it’s strange. I didn’t really ‘catch’ any of the pokemon on my team. I asked them—except for Panahi, who asked me.”

“Oh wow! Really?”

“I think it’s more common in some regions. After all, we didn’t always have pokeballs.”

“I guess that’s true.”

Ren pulled a ball of her belt and held it out to him. He accepted it reverently and cradled it in his hand for a minute. She bumped her eyebrows at him, and a look of determination settled over his features. He threw the ball, Akahana popped out in a flash of red, and he caught it again.

“Oh, what a cool Poochyena! I haven’t seen one like her before.”

“She’s a Striped variant. Akahana, this is Wally. We are going to help him get his first pokemon.” Akahana scrutinized him for a moment and nodded. “She knows Growl, Tackle, and Thunder Fang.”

“Whoa! Really?”

“Yep! And Thunder Fang is great because—

“It has a chance of causing paralysis!”

“Exactly. And Aka here is good at it.” Ren gave him an appraising look. He must have practiced to toss and catch a pokeball that naturally. She remembered doing the same with a rubber band ball when she was young. “You sure know your stuff.” 

“I sorta have a library on pokemon training at home. And I watched every battle video I could get my hands on since I couldn’t…” He trailed off.

“That’s great! Whatever pokemon you catch will be super lucky.” He smiled, and Ren grinned back. “What species did you have in mind?”

“I would really like a Ralts.”  
Ren pulled out her nav and looked them up since it wasn’t a species she had bumped across out with Kai. When she saw the first image, her eyes flickered to Wally’s hair . The resemblance was too close to be a coincidence. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the data. “Hmm, DexNav says they’re elusive. We could be out here a while.”

“I’m sorry,” Wally apologized again, visibly wilting.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. This is super important. Besides, it’ll be fun.”

Wally’s lips parted slightly in surprise, then a wobbly but radiant smile took over his face, and his pale blue eyes shimmered. “Thank you.”

> “He shattered my heart with that smile.”
> 
> _That’s very sentimental of you._
> 
> “Something you have yet to learn about me is that I am extremely and unbearably sentimental.”
> 
> _And was that the only reason you helped him?_
> 
> “No. I was angry at his parents. _Otōsan’s_ encouragement was a lot sometimes, but he never told me that I couldn’t do something. And _Okāsan_ has been there to support me at every tournament and performance for my entire life. It wasn’t fair. So I was determined to give him at least a little of what he was owed.”

Wally and Ren wandered around for hours. Ren consulted the Littleroot Labs data on her nav, Akahana used her nose, Tāraki climbed every tree, Iki peered around from the safety of Ren’s head, and Panahi scanned from above with her keen eyes.

They slowly spread out to cover more ground, though not so far as to lose track of each other. But Ren had Akahana stay with Wally just in case.

Ren was looking through some bushes when she heard coughing so severe that she went running to find Wally, but by the time she was in sight again, he had an inhaler over his nose and had quieted. He put it casually back in his bag, barely looking at what he was doing. 

So it was his lungs—probably asthma or some kind of birth defect. That seemed like a particularly frightening ailment to Ren—to at any moment be unable to breathe, suffocate on nothing. It couldn't have been easy for him to grow up knowing each breath could be his last. But then again, maybe that made things simple. It would be a terrible waste not to do what he wanted, so here he was, risking himself on a dream, letting passion drive him. 

Ren turned around without making herself known and kept searching.

At long last, Wally gave a shout. “I found one!”

Ren tried not to run, so as not to scare it off only to gasp when she caught sight of it. The pokemon was indeed a Ralts, but with glittering feathers and a bright blue helmet instead of green.

“_Nanda_, is that a shiny?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed weakly, clearly still trying to process it himself. 

“Ralts!” Akahana called out to it before anyone could gather themselves, “this human is a trainer without a pokemon. If he can demonstrate his ability in battle to your satisfaction, would you be interested in becoming his starter?”

The Ralts cocked its head and looked carefully up at Wally through its fringe, first with one eye and then the other. It chirped to Akahana in an odd ringing tone and she shook her head. Then it nodded, and Akahana settled lower to the ground, coiling herself and ready to spring. 

“Oh!” Wally gasped. He took a deep breath and a look of determination spread over his face. “Akahana, use Thunder Fang!”

Akahana surged forward, bright tendrils of electricity trailing from her bared white fangs. The Ralts startled at the unexpected move, and its feathers ruffled as it lashed out instinctively with Confusion. The pulsing purple waves bounced harmlessly off of Akahana, and she sunk her teeth into its arm. The Ralts shuddered with the jolt of electricity but held steady. Pink, ringed sound waves erupted from its mouth and struck Akahana off. A close quarters fairy move was a lot for her, but she rolled right back to her feet.

“Hang in there, Akahana,” Wally cried. The Ralts fired off another Disarming Voice, but Akahana leapt to the side. The Ralts twitched stiffly, unable to course correct before the attack was spent. “It’s paralyzed! Get around back and Tackle!”

Ren nodded approvingly as Akahana dove under another attack, sprinted past, and whirled around. Her skull connected powerfully with the Ralts’s back and it fell forward in a heap. It tried to get up but wavered from the paralysis. Akahana pressed a paw between its shoulders and growled. It held stubbornly for a moment before letting its head loll, admitting defeat. Ren heard Wally gasp softly.

Akahana released it and walked back to Ren’s side. The Ralts righted itself and looked directly up at Wally, who started. They were both quiet for a minute and Wally’s lips moved, which meant it was probably using telepathy to speak to him. Finally, Wally pulled out a pokeball and kneeled down, offering it to the Ralts. It pushed the button and flowed inside. Wally clutched the ball tightly for a moment, and then it flashed green.

“YES!” he yelled, jumping up with the pokeball held aloft. “I can’t believe it!”

“Great job!” Ren congratulated him. “You really kept your cool. That’s a tough thing for most beginners.”

Wally was too elated to process her compliments and swept down on Akahana. “Thank you, Akahana!” he said, hugging her tightly. “You were so awesome! Thank you so much!”

Akahana was stiffened in shock at the display of affection, but remained still until he started coughing and had to let her go to use his inhaler.

“Thank you, Ren,” he said, a bit calmer and quieter so as not to upset his lungs again. “This means so, so much to me. I don’t think I could have done that without you here.”

“I’m happy to help, but don’t give me too much credit. That was a pretty even match, and you won it on your own.” He glanced away and she placed a hand on his shoulder to pull him back. “I want you to remember that.”

“Okay, but I still want to pay you back some day.”

She smiled wide enough to split her face. “Deal. Hey, why don’t we trade numbers? I’ll probably be going through Verdanturf in a few weeks. Maybe we can meet up?”

“Yeah, that sounds great!” 

They swapped navs and filled in their contact information. Wally was still radiating joy like a Sunny Day and took the Ralts’s ball in his hands again to let his new pokemon back out. The Ralts looked up at him and smiled too.

“Let’s go to the Pokemon Center. We can heal these guys up and get your trainer card updated. Any idea what you’re going to call them?”

“Faris.”

> “It was a lot of fun to go back and show Otōsan that catch. You should have seen his face. He couldn’t believe it!”
> 
> _I did see it, and it was rather amusing._
> 
> “Oh, right. Well, I’m glad I hung around. And I think it was good for Akahana.”
> 
> _You’ve accomplished a lot to be proud of. And needed me for so little of it._
> 
> “I—When you put it in that context, it makes it very hard to deny.”
> 
> _One doesn’t live as long as I without learning a little trickery._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Wally a shiny Ralts to deal with the trauma of running into one on my way into Petalburg to buy more pokeballs for the next route. I can't even tell you how painful it was to play with the shiny clause, run into a random shiny early game and then have no way at all to catch it. I screamed out loud in public and startled a bunch of people.  
Anyway, I had quite a lot of fun with Wally's character the first time and I'm very happy to have him back now that I have a better idea of who he really is as a person. And I'm also super glad I remembered to slip Kenta in much earlier because he is good and important!
> 
> Characters:  
  



	6. No Spare Parts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren fills out her team and stops a mugging in progress

Ren and Panahi battled a trainer and her Zigzagoon on a grassy knoll overlooking a little seaside village. The Zigzagoon charged, and Panahi hit it in the face with Water Gun. It teetered, dizzy, and collapsed.

“Nice shot, Panahi!”

“Why, thank you!”

The trainer recalled her pokemon. “Nice battle. That is some Wingull.”

“Thanks!” Panahi flew to Ren’s shoulder as the trainer waved and went on her way. “You see that? She said you were a good battler.”

Panahi shuffled her wings primly. “I never said I wasn’t.”

Ren did not get to tease her any further as they were interrupted by a loud chirp from the lone tree sitting atop the hill. There was a Common Taillow with a bright splash of red across its face and breast sitting on one of the branches. It called out to Panahi and Ren again, gesturing with its wings.

“She saw us win that match and she wants to battle,” Panahi translated, then narrowed her eyes and clacked her beak irritably. “She also says she’ll join your team if we can beat her.”

> _And why did you accept her challenge?_
> 
> “I figured she must have wanted a trainer really badly. And I thought I could at least give her enough practice to help her impress someone. You know, because I’m a fool.”

“Well, how about it, Ahi?”

“Sure thing, Honey. I think I can take a Taillow, even a cocky one.”

“Alright, open with a Water Gun. Soak her wings!”

Panahi took to the air, and the Taillow followed a second later. Panahi shot off a stream of water as the Taillow arrowed towards her. But before it landed, the Taillow opened her mouth wide, and huge wave of concussive sound burst forth. The Water Gun fell apart, and the sound wave collided with Panahi like a wall. She reeled backward through the air before her wings crumpled and she plummeted. Ren ran forward and caught her.

“_Houou no niji!_ Are you okay, Ahi?”

Panahi groaned and Ren withdrew her. The Taillow landed back on her perch and waited, eyes glinting in anticipation.

“Akahana, are you up for this?” The Poochyena nodded grimly and stalked forward, legs stiff and hackles bristling. “You won’t be able to take more than one hit from her, so you have to make yours count. Wait for her to dive and use Thunder Fang.”

The Taillow swooped down, and Akahana leapt to the side as the Taillow released another Boomburst. Akahana was knocked sideways—a glancing blow—but she rolled and sprung back to her paws in one fluid motion. The Taillow flapped a few times in surprised before banking sharply to come in for another pass, diving lower this time. Akahana coiled, sparks leaking from her jaws. The Taillow waited until she was very close before opening its mouth to fire.

“NOW!” Ren cried.

Akahana sprang into the air, and the sound wave ruffled her fur as it passed beneath her. She rolled forward, catching the Taillow’s tail in her teeth, and there was a bright flash as she discharged. The Taillow jerked violently backward, and its back hit the ground hard just before Akahana landed on top of it, forepaws pinning its wings. The Taillow convulsed beneath her, and electricity fizzled through its feathers. 

Ren ran forward and dropped to her knees as she reached into her bag, and Akahana jumped off the prone Taillow. “You better not be dead,” Ren muttered as she sprayed it carefully with a potion. 

Akahana sat back on her haunches and sighed, fur laying flat again. A moment later, the Taillow opened its eyes. 

“Thank Arceus.” Ren sighed, and her head lolled into her hand for several seconds before she came back to herself and sprayed the Taillow again, this time with a paralyze heal. 

The Taillow’s breathing evened out, and Ren rounded on Akahana. “_Chikuso!_ What the hell was that! Were you trying to kill them?”

“No,” Akahana responded, cocking her head. “She could have hurt me just as badly with a move like that.”

“She’s a wild, you’re not. She hasn’t learned control.”

“Training or no, battling is dangerous. You must know that?”

Before Ren could answer, the Taillow popped up. It hopped over to Akahana and chirped cheerfully with a dip of her head. 

Akahana dipped her head back. “Thank you.”

That gave Ren pause. “She’s not mad?”

“She understands.”

Ren started to say something back, but it caught in her throat. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to sort it out. In the end, she closed her mouth and rubbed her left hand over the long thin scar on her right forearm. The pokemon continued their conversation without her as she wrestled with herself. 

“Ren.”

Ren startled back to the present, and it was jarring. For a moment she couldn’t remember what was happening. 

Akahana continued. “She would like to be on your team. She says most of the trainers that came through here couldn’t beat her. She was very impressed.”

“Are you sure she—”

“Please.” Once again that stopped Ren dead. “She’s strong. I know we have a flying-type already, but she really wants to train with us.”

Ren willed herself to focus and locked eyes with Akahana. She looked… pleading. It took Ren a moment to sort that, but then it was obvious. Akahana _did_ feel badly about hurting the Taillow. It was an accident, and Ren had yelled at her for it.

> _So, we aren’t going to talk about that now?_
> 
> “You already know what happened.”
> 
> _That’s hardly the point._
> 
> “Just give me a bit more time. It will come up plenty.”
> 
> _As you wish._

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’d be honored to have her.” Ren pulled out a pokeball and offered it. The Taillow looked back at Akahana for confirmation before hopping forward excitedly and pecking the button. Ren looked down at the ball for a moment before stowing it.

“I’m sorry, Aka. You’re right, and I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” She clutched her arm again and rode through the surge in her stomach. “I just—I have a hard time—” Her hand was changing color from lack of circulation, but it still wasn’t enough. “Nevermind,” she sighed and let go. “That was one hell of a battle.”

Ren offers her hand to Akahana, with a cautious smile. Akahana hesitated for a moment, looking at Ren’s face with her piercing red eyes. Then she closed them and pressed her head into Ren’s hand.

* * *

Ren trudged through dark, dense woods with Panahi resting on one shoulder and Iki curled in her arms. Everything was covered with moss, vines, and lichen save for the ferns and mushrooms that sprouted up between roots and rotting logs. Leaf litter crunched beneath her boots, and the canopy tapered above them. She had been in forests before, even old ones, but none like this. 

Akahana trotted ahead this time, raising her head periodically to scent the air. Tāraki leapt through the branches ahead of them, attempting to lead, but his path wandered. Māia the Taillow tittered at him, then swooped in a new direction, calling for the others to follow. Ren caught up while they argued. She slumped, letting out a sigh.

“I don’t even mind that we’re lost. I just need a break.” 

“I hate how closed it is in here,” said Panahi. “I can’t see the sky at all. May I go in my ball for a while?”

“Absolutely,” said Ren with relief and straightened as the Wingull’s weight left her shoulder. 

“It is kind of scary in here,” Iki admitted. “Can I go too?”

“Sure,” Ren sighed and withdrew her as well. “Who wants to tell her she’ll be doing a lot of training in this forest?”

“I think we’re starting to attract attention,” Akahana growled. 

Ren looked around more carefully and began to notice that they were surrounded by unusually large mushrooms. Then she saw one move and could hear it quietly snickering. She pulled out her dex, which informed her that they were all Shroomish of about half a dozen different variants. 

“_Maa_… Kai would love this.”

Akahana grumbled, and Ren opened her mouth to inform the bickering pair of their current situation, when one of the Shroomish made itself known by stepping forward into the clearing. Its dome was porcelain white with just a little brown at the top, and its squat legs were a dark sepia. It tittered at them, setting off what sounded a lot like laughter from the rest. 

“We are not lost!” Tāraki insisted, and Māia’s tweet seemed of a similar sentiment. 

“Do you know where a pond with dark water is?” Akahana cut across them. She rolled her eyes at whatever the Shroomish said back but followed when it began to march off slightly to the right of where they were headed. “She’ll take us.”

“You’re the best, Aka.”

Akahana acknowledged that with a flick of her ears, and the other Shroomish parted to let them pass. Tāraki and Māia shrugged at each other and followed. 

It turned out they had been fairly close to Tea Pond but probably wouldn’t have found it themselves. Ren stripped down to her sports bra and spandex shorts and took a swim. Panahi paddled around placidly, and Iki skittered nervously across the surface, never straying far from Ren. Tāraki crouched on a rock near the shore and amused himself by plunging his hand in and watching it disappear into the dark water. Māia swept back and forth overhead, practicing her aerial acrobatics, and Akahana and the Shroomish watched from the bank.

Ren dried off on shore with Iki crouching beneath her tented knees. Once she’d had something to eat, she set about assigning exercises to her team.

“Panahi, I want you to practice your Water Gun accuracy on a moving target. Tāraki, you’re the target, and I want you to dodge as best as you can. Try out whatever you feel and see what works.”

“Awesome!” Tāraki crowed, already bouncing. “Come on, Panahi!”

“Alright, Fiddlehead,” Panahi sighed, stretching out her long wings.

“Iki, I want you to practice landing Fell Stinger on Akahana.” The Surskit glanced nervously at Akahana but nodded. “And Akahana I want you to lean on that Quick Feet ability to keep away without running.” Akahana nodded curtly and paced off a little way to get clear of Panahi’s spray. “Māia, you and I are gonna do some drills to get that Quick Attack up to par.” 

The Taillow whistled back and leapt off her branch to begin. 

Iki peered up at Māia as she swooped, banked, and dove, barely able to follow her movements. She shuffled a little farther away.

“Are you ready?” Akahana prompted, and Iki startled. 

“Actually, I was wondering if—if I could ask you for some advice? Before we start?”

Akahana sat down. “Sure. What about?”

“Um, well, any general advice you might have about battling. You always seem like you know what you’re doing, and I… I have no idea.”

Akahana, doesn’t answer immediately, taking time to consider her response. “You need to look out for yourself. Don’t let her put you in danger.”

Iki’s eyes went wide with surprise, and she glanced worriedly at Ren. “She wouldn’t do that, would she?”

“I don’t know. That’s the point.” Iki drooped, and Akahana sighed. “Look, the way I figure it, any trainer that puts up with that mon,” she jerked her head at Tāraki, who was taking a Water Gun directly to the face because he’d a fancy backflip instead of ducking sensibly, “can’t be that bad, or that picky. That’s why I agreed to be on her team. But this battling business is a competition for them. They play for themselves with our lives. She’s good at this, so if we stick with her, we’ll get stronger. But the more powerful we become, the greater the competition. Some day, one of us might not be strong enough, might not compliment the roster enough, might become expendable. I can hope she stays grounded, gets attached to us, takes care of us. But it’s not wise to rely on it. Humans can be fickle and cruel.”

Iki turns turned away and watched Ren and her teammates for a minute. “…You’re right, and if anybody’s going to be expendable, it’s me. I’m just a bug. Battling scares me, but I have nothing to go back to. This is my best shot at a real life, a life that means something…”

Akahana sighed deeply. “Same here, bug.”

> “Did that really happen? I guess I’m not that surprised but—wait, how did you see that? I know you've been in my head, but _I_ didn’t know that was how they became friends.”
> 
> _They are connected to you, and so I am bonded with them as well._
> 
> “Even though Iki…”
> 
> _It does not matter. You are still bonded._
> 
> “_Naruhodo_… Why did you show me this?”
> 
> _I wanted you to understand whose belief you won, how hard it was, and how much you have done for all of them._
> 
> “Well, I always knew Akahana had reservations, and her loyalty always felt like an honor. But I suppose it is different to see it.”
> 
> _Exactly._
> 
> “Right. Now, on to my original reason for looking back at this particular training session…”

“Take a breather, Māia! You did great!” Ren called.

“I’m tapping out for a bit,” Panahi huffed behind them. “I don’t have a single Water Gun left in me.”

Tāraki whined and slunk back over when Ren called him. “I have another exercise if you still have still have so much energy.”

“Ooh! What is it?”

“Absorb practice. You’ll be learning Mega Drain soon and we really need to get your focus up.”

“But I hate Absorb,” Tāraki grumbled as he turned to start.

Ren turned to find Panahi and the Shroomish engaged in conversation. Panahi nodded along as she listened, and it didn’t take long for Ren’s curiosity to get the better of her.

“What is she saying?”

“She’s interested in the training exercises,” Panahi explained. “She’s never seen it before. She thought you had to battle other pokemon to get stronger.”

“Well, you still do have to battle other pokemon. It’s the only way to gain power. But the exercises build up your potential and make you stronger over the long haul. And of course, practicing strategies, movements, and execution makes winning battles a lot easier and safer, so it speeds your rate of growth too.” 

Panahi and the Shroomish stared at her.

“I’m sorry. That was probably a bit much.”

“Not at all, Honey. It’s always a comfort to hear how well you know this business. Makes me proud to have signed on with you.” Ren felt herself turning red, and Panahi smiled. “Let me just make sure our wild friend here understood all of that.”

Ren was grateful for the opportunity to recompose herself while the Shroomish listened intently to Panahi’s translation.

“She loved it,” Panahi reported. She wants to stay and watch us a bit more if that’s alright. She says she’ll show us some other features of the forest in exchange.”

Ren smiled. “That sounds great.”

* * *

Ren trudged contentedly through the forest, following the Shroomish, and Tāraki popped his head out of a nearby tree.

“Is there any way she could move a little faster?” he whined. “I know she has short legs, but I swear she’s slow on purpose.”

“Whine all you want, but I’m glad she found us.”

“I guess Tea Pond was pretty cool,” Tāraki grumbled, face scrunched like there was a sour taste in his mouth “and the berry grove—”

“And let’s not forget how much you loved that moss rock.”

“Well—”

“And that fern glen was pretty sweet.”

“Yes, yes. It was all pretty cool, I’ll admit that. I just think it’s time to get back to the main path.”

“Why so goal oriented all of a sudden?” Ren teased.

The Shroomish chirped, and Tāraki’s face contorted in indignant rage. “That’s why!”

“Got some mouth on her, huh?”

“Yes,” Tāraki hissed through his teeth.

“Well, if it’s any comfort, this should be the last stop on the tour. We are pretty close to Route 104. Then it will be back to the battle grindstone for you. I want to make sure you’re well prepped for the gym. Not to mention we could use at least a little money for food and—”

The Shroomish stopped, listening. Tāraki dropped out of the tree onto Ren’s shoulder. She looked around and saw wild pokemon moving around them, in the opposite direction they were currently headed. The Shroomish purred lowly.

“What’s up?”

“Something strange. Maybe a human in trouble?”

“Let’s find out.”

Ren took the lead, and the Shroomish fell in behind her. As they got nearer, Ren could hear raised voices. She slowed as they approached, placing her boots carefully, so as not to make too much noise. The scene that emerged was an oddly familiar one. There was a middle-aged man on the ground, backed up against a tree trunk with a Poochyena snarling in his face. Only this time it was brown rather than gray and clearly belonged to the tall, rough teenager looming over the scene. He had short, messy hair and was swimming in a red hoodie and charcoal pants two sizes too big for him.

> “And that’s when everything started, though it took awhile for me to figure that out.”

“HEY!” Ren yelled before she could think better of it or even really process everything in front of her. “What the hell is going on here?”

The attention of all three snapped to her immediately, and she felt Tāraki’s tail waggle agitatedly behind her head. That drew the eyes of the man on the ground.

“You’re a trainer, right? Please help me! He’s trying to steal my equipment!”

“Stay out of this, kid,” the teen warned her. “You don’t know what this is about.”

Ren’s brow set. “I think I know enough.”

“I don’t want to hurt anybody.”

> “It did occur to me that he might actually mean that. It sounded like he did. But all the evidence pointed the other way, and I couldn’t risk it. To even threaten to use your pokemon on another person… Desperation can be just as dangerous as malice. I didn’t know what he was capable of, only what I was.”

“Tāraki, Quick Attack!”

Tāraki jumped off her shoulder in a blur of speed and body-checked the Poochyena off the man before any of them could react. The man scrambled backward, and Tāraki and Ren planted themselves between him and the other two.

The teen’s fists balled at his sides. “You’re making a b-b-b-b—a mistake!” he stammered.

“So are you,” Ren shot back. She could see his jaw muscles grow taught before he barked out a command. 

“Bite!”

“Absorb!”

Tāraki’s Absorb hit before the Poochyena could reach him, but it kept coming and sunk its teeth into his tail. Tāraki twisted away, face hard and muscles coiled.

“Keep your distance, Tāraki, and keep using Absorb.”

“If that’s how you want to battle—Fang, use Howl, then Bite!”

The Poochyena raised its head and howled, glowing softly as power surged around it. Tāraki charged up another Absorb and launched it as the Poochyena ran at him. Its jaws snapped shut just short of him as he somersaulted out of the way. The Poochyena shuddered as Absorb sapped its energy but it stayed on its feet. 

Tāraki couldn’t take another Bite with the Howl boost, so Ren helped him dodge and slowly sap his strength back. Tāraki dove under the Poochyena in a moment of particular daring, but it paid off. The Poochyena tripped and landed hard. Tāraki slapped its flank with his tail as it got back to its paws, and it wobbled. As close as this was, they nearly had it.

“Come on, Fang!” the guy growled. “Get—” but then he stopped because a golden powder was drifting down from the branches above him and his pokemon. Ren followed his gaze and saw the Shroomish using Stun Spore.

“Shit!” he swore and recalled his Poochyena, who was twitching as the paralysis took hold. He began to stumble away, clearly feeling the effects of the spores himself, and paused to brace himself against a tree for a moment. “Th-this isn’t over!” he yelled before starting off again.

Ren made no attempt to follow. “He’s got some nerve calling me kid.” she muttered. “That gangly asshole can’t possibly be over seventeen.” When he was well out of sight, she turned back to the older man, who was standing and brushing himself off. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, thank you, miss.” he said calmly. She had expected him to be in shock after being threatened with a pokemon. “That was very clever with your Shroomish.”

“Oh, no. She’s wild. That was all her,” Ren shrank back from the… compliment? He probably didn’t realize the implication. Maybe he _was_ in shock.

“Well, thank you anyway. You and your Treecko were very brave.”

“No problem.” She offered him a reassuring smile. “But if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly was that all about?”

“I don’t really know myself,” he answered, picking a silver briefcase off the ground. She eyed him carefully, and he shrugged. “Must have thought I had something valuable.”

“I should go report this, but please take my card. I work for Devon. If you ever need a favor, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Ren took the card, and it did look quite normal and legitimate. His name was Dr. Graeme Aarden, and he was the head of the fossil revival department.

> _You have superb instincts, or at least a very keen mind under pressure._
> 
> “Of course, I looked him up later and found out he was not only a real scientist but a leading expert in his field, which made me feel very silly about being so suspicious.”
> 
> _But you were right, in a way._
> 
> “I guess I was.”

“Let me at least escort you to the road.” Ren said as he was about to leave. “I was headed that way anyway.”

“Oh, thank you, you are too kind.”

He started walking, and she was about to follow but paused. “Tāraki, I know we had that battle, you did great, but thank the Shroomish for me please. That was super smart of her, and she didn’t have to do that for us.”

Tāraki nodded and passed the message on while they all headed for Route 104.

* * *

Iki lunged at a trainer’s Seedot, thorn glowing lime green, and managed to catch it just beneath its cap. It keeled over, and the other trainer recalled it.

“Wow. I haven’t lost like that in a while.”

“Hear that, Iki? Nice job!” Iki smiled tentatively. “Oh, and nice battle by the way,” Ren told the trainer and held out her hand. “It was smart to use bide like that.”

“Thanks,” she responded and took the offered hand. 

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, which Ren’s team waited patiently through, before parting ways with a friendly wave. 

There was more light ahead of them on the trail, meaning they were finally close to the edge of the forest.

“I guess it’s time to get to Rustboro.” She turned to look at her team, and her eyes fell on the Shroomish. “I guess this is goodbye, then. Thank you for all of your help.

The Shroomish looked around and then up at Ren, gurgling seriously.

“Actually, she’d rather come with us, if that’s alright,” said Panahi

Ren smiled down at her. “Sure. I’d be honored.”

Tāraki looked a tad annoyed at that, and Akahana blinked in surprise. Ren crouched down and pulled out a pokeball.

“Sorry I don’t have a name for you yet. I’ll try and think of one before I register you at the next center.”

The Shroomish was not the least bit bothered and hit the button. Ren stood and looked fondly at the pokeball.

“So, Tāraki, this isn’t going to be a problem for you, is it?”

“Of course not,” he said, crossing his arms. “If you think she should be on the team, then it’s fine with me. I don’t know if we’ll be best friends, but I’ll try to get along.”

“Thanks, Shima.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Māia scared the hell out of me with that Boomburst. Both Panahi and Akahana nearly bit it, but I snaggered her in the end and it was worth it. She was quite the unexpected powerhouse. I was also pretty thrilled to get Shroomish because Breloom is one of my favorites.  
Hopefully the worldbuilding was interesting. I had fun with it. Also getting Magma (and Aqua) to make any sense is always a challenge. I did alright the first time and I'm usuing this re-tread to shore up some of the remaining gaps.
> 
> Characters  
  



	7. Can You Hear the Music?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren works out one problem and then promptly gets into trouble again

Chapter Six: Can You Hear the Music?

Rustboro was a dense little city but lacked the skyscrapers of a metropolis like Kogane. Even with all the traffic and bustle, the streets felt wide and comfortable to Ren. There was something almost charmingly quaint about the downtown. Perhaps it was the varied stone facades and carved pokemon adoring the top edge of every building. Or maybe it was the profuse rooftop gardens and street trees full of Beautifly, Dustox, and Taillow. 

Ren and Kai walked through the busy streets with their pokemon around them. Jay was now a Combusken, and Tāraki bounded excitedly by her side, burbling away, while Māia flitted above them both, twittering into any pauses in the conversation. A few people gave them looks for having so many pokemon out—most people had only one—but Ren ignored them, steps bouncing from heel to toe while Kai smiled shyly at her. 

“Are you sure about treating us?”

“Of course! Your first badge deserves some celebration! Especially after a match like that! I can’t believe you picked the Rock Gym first. You’re braver than I thought!”

“It was just because I have to survey Mt. Rose. I have my whole route worked out and I have to stick to the schedule to get every location I picked. I only want to take one gap year before college.”

“I’m still impressed, dude. It’s so cool that you know what you want to study and everything already. And taking the Gym Challenge on top of that? I couldn’t do it.”

“You have a full team already!”

“Only because I’m a sap.”

Kai took a few bigger steps to catch up. “I know your dad is a Gym Leader,” he persisted, “but it’s supposed to take months to build up that kind of stamina.”

“What can I say? I run hot.” Run shrugged. “But if we could back up to that badge match, you and Jay pulled off a mid-battle evolution! That’s so rare!”

They found a native restaurant with an open patio and claimed a table. Jay sat down gingerly in one of the chairs and carefully slid her tail through a hole at the back. Tāraki hopped up to stand in another empty seat, while Panahi and Māia landed on the table. Māia puffed herself up and chirped at Jay, who clucked back, fiddling with her long claws on the table. Kai stifled a chuckle. 

Ren chuckled too. “You can battle Jay next time we have a match, I promise.”

“Hell yeah!” Māia crowed. Ren stared at her, not quite believing it. 

“Oh, can you understand her already?” Kai asked. 

“Not until just now!” Ren squealed. “_Shiawasedaaaaaaaaaaaa! Kimi no himitsu wa kyousou-ryoku o kanjiru kotodesu!_” 

Māia puffed up again with joy and Ren grinned for a moment before clearing her throat awkwardly when she realized she had slipped into Kantogo. Thankfully, a waitress came to her rescue and handed them menus. 

“We serve pokemon dishes here if your teams are hungry,” she informed them before leaving them to make their selections. 

“That’s so cool!” Ren exclaimed, looking it over. “Do you all want anything?”

“Well, what do they have?” asked Panahi. 

“There are a few pokebean-based dishes, but you’ve all basically been eating that as chow since we left. There’s mushrooms and some vegetables.” Panahi stuck out her tongue in disgust. “There’s a nectar drink.” Tāraki gasped and started bouncing up and down in his chair, hands pressed to the table. Ren laughed at him. “As if you need the sugar! But I’ll order you one.” He crowed in delight. “They have some meat options too. Oh, braised Magikarp!”

“Yes _please_, Honey!” cried Panahi, and Māia nodded. 

“Akahana?” Ren asked.

“Never had it,” Akahana mumbled, not lifting her head off her paws.

“Oh it’s a treat! You’ll love it!” Panahi crooned down at her, and Akahana grunted what could be construed as an affirmative.

“I’ll have a little,” Iki piped from under Ren’s chair. 

“Shroomish wants berries,” Akahana added in response to her new teammate’s clicking. 

“Done!”

They put in their order, and Tāraki continued to bounce in place from sheer anticipation. 

“You never really introduced me to the newbies,” said Kai.

“Right! Well this ace battler of a Taillow is Māia.” The tiny bird stood her very tallest on the tabletop, flashing her red chest in Kai’s direction. “And I actually don’t have a name for this clever creature yet.” She gestured down to the Shroomish. “I’ve just been calling her _Aragekikurage_. It’s a mushroom,” she explained when Kai looked confused. “I don’t know if it grows here, and it doesn’t actually look much like her. It’s just the same brown as her underneath. It’s not even a cap—more wrinkly and it feels like velvet.”

Kai thought about it for a few seconds. “Oh! we have that! It’s called a wood ear!”

“Pfff! I see it.”

“The Hoenni name is _hakeka_, I think.”

“I like that much better! Thanks, Kai.”

His cheeks reddened. “No problem.”

“Right! That reminds me! I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to distract you from your match, but I have another little present for you.” She pulled out her nav and slid it over to him. He took it, looking adorably puzzled, then his mouth fell open, and his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Ren smiled fondly at him, her own jaw propped up on one hand in a way that failed to conceal a self-satisfied smirk.

“There must be at least ten variants.” He was breathless. “Holy—holy shit.”

“I marked the location for you~”

Kai’s eyes went glassy, and Ren couldn’t hold back a laugh anymore. He reddened and buried his face in his napkin, which made Panahi snicker behind a wing.

> “I went a little overboard, didn’t I?”
> 
> _You were nervous._
> 
> “I guess… Yeah, I was. I think an even younger me would have been fine on my own, just me and my team, but after… _everything_, I missed my friends. I missed _people_— more than I was willing to admit to myself.”

Kai was still a bit red and could barely even thank the waitress when she returned with their cart of food. Tāraki sipped his nectar through a straw, eyes closed in absolute bliss, and Jay seemed nearly as pleased with her taro and Wurmple hash browns. Akahana took a rather delicate first bite of her Magikarp but was wolfing it down seconds later.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” said Ren in her best attempt at nonchalance. “Since we’re both traveling now, maybe we could do it together?” Kai nearly choked on his boil-up. “We don’t have to! I know you have all your stuff going on. I just thought… Well, it was really nice having you to show me around.”

Ren glanced away in embarrassment, and it was her turn to blush all the way to the tips of her ears. When she forced herself to look back up, Kai was staring at his plate, and the motion of his shoulders indicated he was wringing his hands under the table. Ren’s gut gave a horrible lurch, but before she could make herself say anything, Kai started.

“It’s a good idea!” he blurted.

Ren’s face settled into a huge toothy grin, and a terrible weight lifted off her shoulders. Kai finally looked up at her and sagged in relief, matching her smile with a far more tentative one.

Panahi shuffled her wings, looking immensely satisfied, and probably not entirely from the meal she had just finished. Ren was about to shoot her a glare when she noticed a private little smirk on Jay’s face as well that made her think Kai finally finding his voice was probably her doing somehow. 

Ren resolved to thank Jay later—but not now. She didn’t want to push her luck.

“Great! Then we’ll do it.”

* * *

The next day Ren and Kai headed out east on Route 116 towards the picturesque Mt. Rose. It was the sort of Mountain range one might find in a fanciful painting and was all the more breathtaking in reality. Ren kept finding herself craning her neck back to look at the peak, though that was more due to proximity than sheer height.

Akahana went abruptly still ahead of them and picked up her ears.

“Something’s not right,” she murmured.

Everyone else stopped to listen, and after nearly a minute of straining at silence, the wind changed, and Ren finally heard faint wailing that grew louder and more instant.

“What is that?”

“Hunting,” said Akahana.

Then another sound, low and lilting, almost like music, drifted over it. 

“Is that singing?” Ren wondered. 

“It’s pokemon, not human,” Akahana answered

“Let’s check it out!” Tāraki cheered and bounded off. 

Jay took off after him, followed swiftly by Māia and Panahi. Ren shook her head before leading the rest of them. Akahana walked tall and stiffly, ruff raised all along her back and Iki stayed close behind her. 

As they approached the singing became more distinct and musical but wordless, while the growling and wailing faded altogether. Finally they found half a dozen Cloaked Poochyena asleep on the ground around a stately old tree. A fluffy Skitty sat on one of the branches, singing clearly and gently, and Ren began to feel a bit drowsy. Fortunately, the song drew to a close, and the Skitty slipped easily back down out of the tree with the grace of regular practice. It gave a low, dramatic bow to its slumbering audience and sighed. 

Ren whistled, and it looked up at them all in surprise. Rather than being intimidated by their number, it smiled and trilled a sweet greeting at them. Kai already had his dex out. 

“Looks like an Angora variant, but they aren’t wild.”

“Those Poochyena are out cold. That’s one powerful Sing,” said Ren. “Hello Skitty! That was pretty cool. Do you only sing lullabies or do you put on other performances as well?”

Akahana stepped up to translate, and the Skitty looked very pleased indeed by the interest and complement. It sauntered over to answer and settled its plume-like tail primly over its paws. 

“He says he mostly only sings lullabies to avoid being eaten, but that’s more or less a full-time job. He prefers singing dance tunes but he’s happy to take requests.”

“That’s nice of him. And I’m sure Kai wants an interview. But maybe we should move this somewhere else?”

They all retreated a ways and found a clearing to have lunch in. Kai and Jay talked to the Skitty while the others ate. Tāraki, Hakeka, and Māia finished quickly and wanted to train, so Ren had the plant-types work together while Māia tried out some aerial maneuvers on her own. 

Akahana listened passively to the various goings on, head on her paws and one eye closed. But as soon as the interview was over, the Skitty sauntered over to her, and Akahana raised her head to talk with him. Ren watched more curiously the longer their conversation went on. It was rare to get more than a few laconic remarks from Akahana. And for having nearly been eaten by a pack of Poochyena earlier, the Skitty’s posture was easy and confident beside her. He even leaned in and crooned now and again, a cheeky grin on his face, which Akahana tolerated with her usual stoicism.

Finally, Panahi called him over for something to eat, and he went with dip of his head and friendly brush of his tail. Ren went to sit by Akahana.

“Anything interesting?”

“He was born out here. His father was a pet, his mother was wild. He says it’s tough because his fur isn’t really suited for the weather. He goes into the city sometimes but hasn’t had much luck there… And he’s a flirt.”

“Oooh?” said Ren with a barely suppressed grin.

Akahana snorted. “Not my type.”

“Only other dark-types or—”

Suddenly a commotion erupted from where Tāraki and Hakeka had been practicing.

“What does it even matter anyway?” Tāraki yelled. “I’m still a better battler than you even without my ‘strongest move’! You’re just jealous!”

Hakeka railed something back at him, and Ren was already running over. “Whoa! Break it up! What happened?”

“She started it!” Tāraki shrilled. “She always—”

“Don’t give me that!” Ren cut him off sternly. “Just tell me what happened as straightforwardly as possible. You know I can’t understand her that well yet, so I’m trusting you to be as fair as possible.”

Tāraki grumbled and crossed his arms, taking a few breaths to calm himself down a little. “She got annoyed because I wasn’t doing well. She said I was lazy and stupid for not working as much on my special moves as on my physical ones.” He took another breath and muttered, “and I called her jealous for not being as good a battler as me.”

“Well, first of all, she is definitely not jealous. You know that right? If she has a problem with you, it’s for something else.” Tāraki nodded, tail still twitching in agitation. “And she does have a point, even if she should have said it more kindly. All of the strongest moves in your pool are special attacks, so if you really want to be a battler, it’s worth it to work on them—especially if you want to fight in this Gym.” He accepted this without objection but looked far from happy, and Ren turned her attention to Hakeka. “That being said, we are a _team_ and we should all treat each other with _respect_. Special attacks are more difficult for Tāraki than they are for you, and you shouldn’t put him down for something he can’t control. Understood?” Hakeka nodded. “Good.”

Hakeka left, and Tāraki lay down on the ground, looking tired and dejected.

“What’s the matter, Shima?”

“She said I wasn’t trying, but I do. It’s not just that I don’t like special moves. I can’t focus on them. It makes my head hurt. I just… can’t.”

Ren laid a hand gently on his back. “You know that’s okay, right?”

“But—”

“It makes things harder, but there’s nothing wrong with you, okay?”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. That’s normal. And we’re partners. I’m your trainer. I’m here to help you. If special moves are really that difficult for you, we’ll find a way to make them easier. And we’ll find a way for you to battle that plays to your strengths. You don’t have to be like everyone else to be strong and cool, because you already are.”

Tāraki launched himself at Ren and hugged her tightly, and she squeezed him back just as hard. He rubbed his head against her collarbone, and she laughed at the affection.

Then a wail sounded from nearby followed by voices and caws of distress. Everyone stopped.

“Peeko! Give her back! Please!”

A moment later an old man stumbled past the edge of the clearing and tripped. Ren ran to him and carefully helped him up.

“Are you okay, sir?” Kai fretted.

“What’s going on?” said Ren.

“My Peeko, my darling Wingull! He took her!”

“Who—”

“Which way did he go?” Ren asked urgently.

“He’ll head for the tunnel. Only good escape route.”

Ren turned to go, but Kai caught her arm. “Wait!”

“He stole something from Devon, a briefcase. That’s why Peeko and I were confronting him. I’ll go with you.”

“No. Please just sit down, sir. I’ll get your pokemon.”

“But Ren—”

“I have more pokemon, and someone should stay with him. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Kai wrung his hands for a moment, face twisted up with nerves. “Okay,” he said finally.

“Be right back!”

She took off, and her team followed, while Kai and Jay guided the old man to a rock to sit down on.

“Thank ye, lass!” he called after her.

It didn’t take long for Ren to find the route again and the tunnel under the mountain that it led to. The larger car entrance was blocked off, but the footpath looked open, and the lights were on. Just as she reached it, a horrible cacophony of sound struck her, stopping her dead. Ren clamped her hands over her ears and stepped to the side to escape the blast range. 

“Whismur,” Akahata growled, ears pinned to her head. “And Loudred,” she added as a deep throbbing bass hummed up through their feet. “Tons of them.”

“I’ve never heard an Uproar like this,” Panahi whined, head between her wings. 

“Shit shit shit!” Ren yelled, barely audible. “We can take one guy but not a whole army of wilds.”

It was then Ren noticed that the Skitty had followed them. The sound from the tunnel grew louder again before tapering off, and he mewed. 

“He says he might be able to calm them,” said Panahi. “Apparently he sings for them sometimes.” 

“Please. You can name your price afterward.”

The Skitty nodded and puffed out his chest before stepping in front of the tunnel as another swell of sound bloomed out of it. He projected his voice in a way that defied all probability, one clear note cutting through the disorienting chaos until it split and softened. Then he began his lullaby. 

Ren withdrew her team before they could be ensnared and covered her ears, following behind as the Skitty walked calmly forward into the underground. It wasn’t enough to block him out completely but it did keep her from getting too drowsy. The Whismur faded to almost nothing for a while, but then there was a yell and the glimmer of what might have been Water Gun ahead of them, and the Whismur voices swelled again. 

Ren and the Skitty raced forward, and he sang as loud as he could until suddenly nothing came out. Ren looked and saw that his mouth was still open and his ribs still heaving, and she was baffled for a moment until she realized the Whismur must be canceling him. 

The whole tunnel began to resonate, and Ren had to stop as the ground became unstable. Then the rock around them cracked like thunder, and the ceiling above them trembled and fractured. She sent out Akahana. 

“Get the Skitty out of here!”

She looked Ren in the eyes for a moment, then grabbed the Skitty by his scruff and ran back towards the entrance. Ren sent out Tāraki, and they ran deeper in. The figure was just ahead of them now, struggling with a Wingull.

Stones began to fall all around them, most of them small but increasing in size as the rock groaned and crackled. As they closed on the thief, she realized he was the same gangly teen from the woods with his red hoodie and Brown Poochyena. The Wingull wrested her beak free as he stared at the shaking rocks all around him and blasted him in the face with Water Gun. Spluttering, he lost his grip, and the Wingull soared over their heads straight for the entrance. As Ren’s eyes followed, she noticed the ceiling buckling.

“Look out!” yelled Tāraki, and she withdrew him. 

The teen had followed her gaze and fumbled for his own pokeball.

“MOVE!” Ren bellowed, charging towards him.

But he didn’t. Instead he just stared at the rocks about to crush him as his pokemon flowed safely back into her ball. 

Ren tackled him, and they went skidding back across the floor. She landed on top of him, hands on his chest, face almost hitting his shoulder, as a cascade of rocks fell with a shaking rumble. They both remained still for a moment, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for it to be over. 

Nothing hit them. 

They cracked their eyes open, and she released her death grip on his hoodie. It was darker. The ceiling lights must have gone out—been destroyed—but the emergency lights along the floor were still working, casting everything in a soft, warm glow.

The thief looked up at her, eyes like saucers until something above her caught his attention. Before she could turn her head, He grabbed her around the shoulders with one arm and threw up the other. She flinched as a rock struck his arm just above her head and rolled off onto the floor with a thunk. It was larger than his fist.

“Ow,” he said, and his arm fell across her back. He let out a long breath, and his head lolled, but she could hear his heart thundering through his chest. Everything else was quiet. Then he finally seemed to register that Ren was on top of him, that he was holding her there, and he threw his arms off. 

Ren glared down at him as she pushed herself up.

“I’m sorry!—I mean, thank you!—I mean—” he stammered and then covered his face to stop himself. “Oh, **fuck**.”

Ren stepped off, but stayed looming over him and scowled. “That’s more like it. Believe it or not, I didn’t come in here to save your pathetic ass from being crushed by rocks.”  
He sat up. “R-r-right. Yeah… B-but, um, th-thanks anyway.”

“You just stole an old man’s Wingull and nearly got us killed! I don’t want your fucking gratitude!”

He nodded sheepishly and got to his feet. 

“Give me the Devon package!” she demanded, and her eyes bored angrily into him as he turned and picked the silver briefcase off the floor behind him, arms trembling.

Ren only glanced to make sure it looked right before snatching it from him. She glared at him as he wiped his face and patted the dust off his uniform. For a moment, Ren thought he split his lip, but she soon realized it was a scar, much like his nose had healed slightly crooked. He made to touch the back of his head, which must have hit the floor when they fell, but he stopped, sucking in breath, and clutched at his injured arm. He had rather intricate black tattoo sleeves that were difficult to make out against his brown skin in the dim of the emergency lights. The trembling was probably mostly adrenaline, but he was soaking wet, and his cropped hair was matted up with dust.

“Just go,” she told him.

He looked at her. “What?”

“I’m not gonna keep you here or drag you in. Just tell me your name, and you can go.”

“You’ll t-tell the p-p-police and get m-me arrested.”

“No I won’t. I have six pokemon with me to help haul you in if that was what I wanted.”

“B-b-b-b—” He couldn’t get it out and swallowed before trying again. “Why?”

“So I know what to call you.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, chewing over several different things while she waited. “It’s J-Josh,” he said finally, “Josh Takamoana.”

“Alright Josh, I hope we never see each other again but I have a feeling we will. You better hurry. All that noise is bound to draw some attention.”

He gave her one last lingering glance before turning and stumbling towards the other side. Ren watched him until he disappeared. Then something at her waist gave a tug. Red light sprang from one of her pokeballs and formed into Tāraki.

“Are you okay? You scared me!”

“Yeah. Sorry, Shima. I’m okay.”

He climbed up her and looked at the rubble all around them. She turned back to the way they had come. It was dim, and there were a lot of rocks to climb over, but she could see daylight beyond. 

“What happened?” Tāraki asked as they started to pick their way through.

“I saved that guy from getting squished and got the Devon thing back but I let him go.”  
“Why?”

“Just a feeling.”

> _And what feeling was that?_
> 
> “Pity mostly. He was younger than me—still just a kid really—and already so beaten and desperate.”
> 
> _Very sentimental._
> 
> “I didn’t feel right punishing him any more, especially not when he banged up his arm protecting me.”
> 
> _And what else? What did you see?_
> 
> “I don’t… Even then, when he saw that rock coming down, his first instinct was to shield my head and not his.”
> 
> _You saw someone like you._
> 
> “I suppose I did.”

They stumbled out of the tunnel, and Ren’s eyes had barely adjusted to the light when something bumped into her and nearly knocked her off her feet.

“You’re okay!” Kai exclaimed and held her tight just to be sure “We heard the sound, and I was worried so we ran over, but then the tunnel collapsed, and I thought you were dead!”

She felt a trembling and squeezed him back. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“You’re shaking,” he said into her ear. He was right.

“Oh. It’s just the adrenaline. Don’t worry.”

Ren disentangled herself and saw the old man was standing there, cuddling with his Wingull. Akahata even wagged her tail a little when Ren looked down at her. The Skitty walked up and put a paw on her foot, mewing sweetly.

“He’s glad you’re okay. Also he’s been saying that he owes me for saving his life and wants to come with us so he can pay me back somehow.”

Ren’s smile turned to a frown. “I promised him but I don’t have a slot left. I’d have to leave one of you with _Otōsan_…” She sat down on the ground so she didn’t have to stand on her unsteady legs as she thought about it. “Kai, how would you feel about adding the Skitty to your team?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind. Jay?” 

She nodded.

“We’re traveling together, so this way you’ll still get to see Akahana. Is that okay?” The explanation was satisfactory, and he happily went into Kai’s offered pokeball. 

Kai sent him right back out, and he weaved through Kai’s legs and settled on Ren’s lap, purring loudly. His vibrations seemed to calm her own, and she pet his soft fur. 

Then a Whismur hopped out of the cave and cautiously approached them. It was rather large and light gray in color with yellow markings. It called out to them with a surprisingly deep voice for its size and the Skitty answered. 

“Uh, so the Whismur heard the Skitty try to stop the Uproar,” Kai said as they went back and forth, and Jay twittered a translation. “And he’s heard him sing before and always liked his voice. So he wanted to thank him. And now with the tunnel collapsed and everything else. He wants to know if I’d be willing to take him too.”

“Well are you?”

“Yeah. A Bass Whismur would be perfect.”

As he got out another ball, the old man approached with the Wingull on his shoulder. 

“Thank ye so much, lass. Can I know your name?”

“It’s Kosugi,” she answered and offered her hand to shake. 

“Oh, this is Captain Briney,” said Kai.

“You saved my dear Peeko. If there is ever anything we can do for you, please let us know. We have a good boat, so if you ever want to get to any of the isles, we’ll be happy to take ya.”

“That’s very kind of you. I’m sure I’ll take you up on it at some point.”

“Do,” he said with another firm shake. 

Kai sent his new Whismur back out, which made Ren realize the rest of her team was still in their balls, and she released them.

They had barely finished the introductions and explanations when the Rustboro police arrived.

> “I didn’t tell them about Josh's scar or his nose or his tattoos or anything else useful. I said it was too dark, and I didn’t actually catch him, that he dropped the briefcase in the panic. I couldn’t have told anyone why I did it at the time.”
> 
> _But you understand now?_
> 
> “Yes. I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mele and Horu were my catches for Route 116 and Rusturf Tunnel. I used both of them some, but when I was restructuring, it wasn't quite enough to justify trying to juggle them on Ren's team again. But I couldn't let them go either, so I gave them to Kai instead! They're both such fun characters and I still wanna use them.
> 
> Characters:  
  



	8. If You Can't Rock Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren meets with Mr. Stone and has her first gym battle

Ren and Tāraki stood in the immaculate hallway on the top floor of the Devon building. Despite donning the most businesslike outfit she had in her vapor box, Ren was feeling rather underdressed for the occasion, especially when a woman in a custom tailored suit emerged from the office across from them.

“Mr. Stone will see you now.”

She held the door open for them, and Ren thanked her as they went in.

The walls of the generous office were covered in cases of specimens from glittering crystals to polished granite. The floor was beautifully striated, pink marble that was somehow still less impressive than the lobby, which had them walking over an incredible array of intricately arranged fossils. 

Mr. Stone stood from his large desk on the far end of the room to greet them. He was an older gentleman with silver hair and a perfectly trimmed beard.

“Lovely to meet you, Miss Kosugi,” he said as he shook her hand. He then he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Please have a seat.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Nonsense, it is I who must thank you,” he said as Ren sat down, and Tāraki jumped to the arm of the chair. “The package you recovered was an extremely important prototype. My company and I are indebted to you.”

“You are welcome, sir. I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

He gave a warm smile—warmer than she had been expecting. “That is very admirable of you, Ms. Kosugi, but I did not invite you here just to thank you personally.”

“You really don’t have to do anything,” Ren said firmly. She had hoped to avoid a reward after purposefully letting the thief go… twice.

“Please allow me to anyway. It is only fair,” he insisted. “I’d like to offer you full access to all of our nav apps, free of charge, and of course upgrade your nav to any model you choose. We also have an extensive line of accessories for trainers that may be of use to you. Ms. Ikeda will assist you as soon as we’re done.”

Ren weighed whatever was happening in her conscience against the risk of exposing herself and Josh for a moment before realizing it was moot. Despite Mr. Stone’s jovial bearing, she could feel that he wasn’t going to budge. 

“That is very generous, sir. Thank you.”

“Very good.” He regarded her for a moment, hands knit together and thumbs wandering back and forth. “There is one more thing. This in no way effects anything I have already offered, and you are under no obligation to accept, but I was hoping you might run an errand for me—paid, of course.”

Now that she wasn’t expecting. “What sort of errand?” She asked carefully. She saw Tāraki cock his head in her periphery.

“Delivery. Specifically taking the parts you returned to me twice to my son in Dewford. It would be a great personal favor.”

The odd feeling that had prodded her back in Petalburg Woods reared up stronger than ever, and she gripped the arms of her chair. She had let go of the idea of asking questions before she even entered the building. Now there was no way not to. 

“Before I decide, I have a few things I would like to ask.”

“About the incidents?” he asked, and she confirmed with a nod. He was sharp. “By all means. You and your pokemon were, albeit unintentionally, put in jeopardy. You are perhaps owed some manner of explanation.”

“Thank you, sir. Can I ask why you sent your top fossil scientist to deliver this prototype and not a courier? It seems like, as the head of the department, he might have other things to do.”

The corner of his mouth turned up just slightly before he leaned back a bit. “Ah, yes, under normal circumstances I certainly wouldn’t have, but since this was sensitive material, I needed someone I trusted. Devon may make most of its money nowadays from navtech, but I founded this company as a fossil revival center, and that has always remained my passion. Graeme has been here since the very beginning, and I’ve worked with him for much of my life. He is a close friend.”

In that moment, Ren resented her gut just a little for being right again because now she had to follow it. “Please excuse me—I don’t mean to sound rude or accusatory—but it seems as though Dr. Arden, and by extension yourself, may have expected an attempted theft?”

“To be perfectly frank, yes. Yes, I did.”

“So, do you know who is trying to steal this prototype and why?”

“Yes, I believe I do.” For the first time, Mr. Stone’s flawless posture wilted ever so slightly, and he paused for a moment, as if reluctant to elaborate. “This may sound strange, and I hope you will forgive me—I do not mean to cast aspersions—but I am fairly certain Magma is behind the attempted thefts.”

Ren had no idea what that meant or why he should feel uncomfortable saying it. Tāraki tilted his head all the way in the opposite direction, brow furrowing. He was doubtless even more lost than she was. “Is that… a criminal group?”

“Heavens no!” Mr. Stone exclaimed, raising his hands as if to push that idea away from him. “I forgot you are new to the region. No, Magma is a _humanitarian_ organization. Their focus is infrastructure and affordable housing. I collaborated with them recently on the Rusturf Tunnel project.”

Mention of the tunnel made Ren’s chest tighten. “I’m sorry about the collapse.”

“It is unfortunate,” he said with a sigh, “but not your doing. Problems with the Whismur plagued it from the beginning. I suppose Captain Seaborne was right after all…” His eyes drifted out the window as he fell silent. 

Ren felt a pang of sympathy. Continuing to pry didn’t seem kind anymore. Mr. Stone was under a lot of stress, and this wasn’t just business to him. But she looked over at Tāraki, saw the confusion on his face, but when their eyes met he smiled and nodded encouragingly. Her resolve hardened. He couldn’t understand much of what was being said, but he trusted her to make the right choice. They were all relying on her.

She didn’t mince her next words. “Do you think the project may have just been a way for them to get inside information about your company?”

“I admit to briefly considering the possibility.” He rearranged some items on his already orderly desk. “However, taking into account the organization’s history and having met with their leaders personally, I find it unlikely that their work up until this point has been some kind of smokescreen for criminal activity. That is to say, I do not believe this was motivated by greed. It seems more likely to me that they have found some way other than public appeal to further their agenda and that the technology they are attempting to steal will help them in some way.”

Now that was an interesting wrinkle. “And what exactly are they trying to steal?”

“A new type of energy converter,” he answered easily. Ren had half-expected him not to disclose anything at all. And that made her feel better even though things had become more complicated.

“So with all of that going on, why ask me to take the package?”

“Firstly, you have already proven yourself trustworthy. You had ample opportunity to take the parts yourself, knowing full well that they must be very valuable, but instead returned them twice. Secondly, since you are not a Devon employee or affiliate, Magma is unlikely to suspect you are carrying anything for us. And thirdly, if they do find out, you have already demonstrated you are a competent enough trainer to fend them off.”

“Oh.” That was all very well reasoned. “Thank you, I guess.”

“That being said, I very much doubt they will come after you. I wouldn’t have asked you if I thought they might. However, I completely understand if you don’t want to take any more risks. It is your choice.”

> “He had such a reassuring way about him, that in that moment I really did believe everything would be fine. And I think he did too.”
> 
> _If he is anything like Steven, I’m sure he would never have sent you willingly into harm’s way._
> 
> “No. He wouldn’t have.”

“I’ll do it. I’d like to visit Dewford anyway.”

“Thank you very much, Ms. Kosugi.” His relief was even more gratifying than the genuine gratitude in his expression. “Once again, you are really getting us out of a bind. Will you need travel accommodations?”

“Ah, no sir, or I don’t think so anyway. Captain Briney offered me a ride.”

Mr. Stone smiled broadly. “Jim? Well, that works out very well then. He has a lovely boat, and his cottage is quite close. Do send him my regards. I haven’t seen the old rascal in quite some time.”

Tāraki climbed up her shoulder and wrapped his tail around her neck. “Will do, sir.”

* * *

Ren walked out of the Devon building with the prototype in her vapor box and her bag full of new tech. Mr. Stone had not been kidding about the trainer equipment; Ren had to admit she was pretty excited to try out her collapsible screen and use her new solar generator the next time she camped out. But the shine wore off quickly as her mind wandered, and she soon found herself watching her boots tromp down the sidewalk. Without Mr. Stone there to reassure her, doubt was creeping back in.

“That went well!” Tāraki piped up by her side. 

“Yeah, he told us a lot more than I thought he would,” Ren admitted distantly. 

Tāraki cocked his head, trying to look up at her face for a moment or two before giving up. “Though I guess I still don't understand all of it.”

“We should tell the others. Come on, I think there's a park nearby.”

It was small, like most things in Rustboro, but there was a pond with blooming lily pads and a pretty little gazebo. Ren let out the rest of her pokemon, and they listened as she and Tāraki explained the situation. 

Ren expected them to say something when she was done—opinions, comments, at least one question—but none of them did.

“Are you really okay with this? I mean, I’m not even entirely sure what I’m getting us into.” She looked from one to the next and was met with nothing but mild confusion. 

“You’re the leader,” said Akahana at length—deliberately, like she was explaining something obvious. “It’s your call, trainer.”

Iki nodded in agreement, and none of the others raised any objection.

“Wait, hang on, that’s not the way I want to run this team.” Ren swallowed, a little shocked at her own dismay, but it did nothing to keep the anxiety out of her voice. “It—it isn’t right. You’re my partners. I want your input.”

Hakeka grumbled, and Panahi nodded along. “Maybe not how I would have put it, but you have a point.” Ren gave her a questioning look, and Panahi elaborated. “It’s just that you’ve already accepted.”

“I would go give it back right now if it mattered to you!”

“I’m sure you would,” Panahi said delicately, obviously still at a loss for what exactly the issue was. “Do you not want to do it anymore?”

“No, I do.” Ren looked at them, hoping one of them would understand, give her something so she could stop sliding helplessly downwards. 

They looked at each other, and Akahana’s tail twitched. Finally Hakeka grunted. 

“What do you want from us?” Akahana translated.

“I just want to know what you think! I know I already explained things, and you all seemed okay with it, but maybe I didn’t really give you all a choice. I want to give you a choice. Besides, you’re all smart. I just thought—well, maybe we shouldn’t be relying on only my judgement all the time. Please just tell me what you think. Should we do this?”

There was another silence and a few more glances between the pokemon before Māia piped up. “Why not? Even if another one of those Magma trainers comes after us, we can totally take them. We’re strong!”

“That’s right!” said Tāraki. “We’re all getting to be pretty good battlers.”

“He said they probably wouldn’t know it was us anyway, r-right?” Iki asked. “It doesn’t seem too dangerous.”

“And we could use the money,” Akahana concluded.

The last two weren’t as forthcoming, so Ren prompted them. “Hakeka, what do you think?”

Hakeka snorted, followed by some gurgling. 

“She thinks you worry too much,” said Tāraki. “Seems like a low risk with a high reward.”

“Ahi?”

“I agree with everyone else, Honey. But listen: it’s great that you want to know what we’re thinking and all, really it is, but it doesn’t change the fact that you have the final say in the end. You are the leader. You need to own your decisions and take responsibility.”

> “I didn’t know why that made me so uncomfortable, so I didn’t say anything. And she was right: I am responsible.”
> 
> _Perhaps, but not for everything you think you are._
> 
> “And what is that supposed to mean?”
> 
> _If you wouldn’t hear it from Steven, you will not listen to me. Not that he has any authority on the subject._
> 
> “Then why are we talking about it?”
> 
> _My hope is that you will see it yourself. That is why we are doing this exercise. But it won’t work if you are so defensive._
> 
> “Alright, I’ll try not to be.”

“I—thank you, Ahi.” Ren took a deep breath and nodded, face set. “Okay. We are going to do this, and I’ll take full responsibility for what happens. But I just want all of you to know that I never want to make you do anything you don’t want to do. You should be able to make your own decisions too.”

“Awesome! So when are we challenging the Gym?”

* * *

The Rustboro Gym stood out boldly from every other building in the city, not just in size but in architecture—if it could be called that. The exterior looked more like a jagged, natural rock formation than a human structure, yet it was still regular and purposeful. Ren wondered if it was pokemon-built. Kai confirmed for her that is was, more specifically, a team of Lunatone, Solrock, and Probopass.

The lobby doubled as a gallery of the Leader’s personal rock and fossil collection, much like Mr. Stone’s office. This one turned out to be more like a museum, albeit a small one, with informative plaques next to each case. The glass roof, which had been invisible from the outside, flooded the space with natural light. Beyond the desk at the back of the room was a thick glass wall that opened onto the arena. Kai hung back while Ren and Tāraki approached the receptionist.

“Hello miss,” the receptionist greeted her. “Ready to take the Gym Challenge?”

“Hell yeah!” Tāraki cheered, bouncing up and down on Ren’s shoulder.

“That’s right!” Ren echoed.

“And what badge will you be aiming for today?”

“My first.”

“Oh! I would have guessed second or third with a full team like yours.”

“I may have over-prepared a bit,” Ren admitted with a shrug.

“No such thing,” the receptionist responded with a smile. “I’ll just scan your trainer ID and get you started. Would you like to battle the Gym trainers at your badge level before the leader?”

“Absolutely.”

“Alright then. I’ll put you on the roster. You can enter the arena as soon as the other trainers are ready.” She fixed Ren with a knowing grin. “I don’t think you’ll need it, but good luck, Ms. Kosugi.”

Ren’s face began to twist into discomfort, but she covered it with a smile.

> _What did she say that upset you?_
> 
> “Living in a new region, surrounded by strangers, I kept forgetting that most of the League employees would already know me or at least recognize my name. The expectation would be enough, but I… I know _Otōsan_ and I have a lot in common, but I like to think some things are different.”
> 
> _Is this another point we must revisit later?_
> 
> “Yeah. Won’t be able to avoid it.”

Kai went to look at one of the cases, and Ren and Tāraki to look out at the arena while the Gym staff and students prepared. Tāraki climbed the glass with his amazing toe pads to get a better view. It was significantly larger than standard and contained uneven terrain and rocky outcroppings rather than being packed flat. Massive fossilized skeletons loomed over the defending side, and the recessed viewing stands were almost hidden in the towering rock of the adjacent walls.

“It really is your kind of battlefield, no?” Ren asked Tāraki. He snickered gleefully back, wiggling in place while his face stayed glued to the glass. “We’re gonna crush this.”

Kai offered her a good luck handshake when it was time and went to sit in the stands with the Gym’s more experienced trainers and other spectators. 

Ren sent out the rest of her team to watch, and the first trainer sent out a Binacle.

Ren nodded to Hakeka, and she trundled forward. The starting whistle sounded, and the Binacle fired off a Sand Attack, but Hakeka turned and received it with her cap, saving her eyes. Knowing the Binacle wouldn't move, Ren didn't have her wait for the dust cloud to clear before launching a Mega Drain that took it down. 

The rest of the trainers went by nearly as fast. Tāraki faced a Dwebble and easily defeated it with his superior speed while Hakeka downed a Rolycoly, Roggenrola, and finally a Carbink with a combination of Leech Seed and Mega Drain. 

When that was done, the Gym leader herself finally appeared. She looked younger than Ren knew her to be, though that may have been the twin buns on her head or short, stylish dress and colorful stockings. She walked out to the center of the arena to greet Ren. 

“You’ve battled all of the badgeless trainers who are in at the moment. Very thorough.”

“It’s such a great opportunity for experience. I didn’t want to miss it.”

Roxanne smiled broadly. “Excellent. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ren.” She extended a hand, and they shook. 

“Likewise.”

“So are you and Stripes ready for your lesson?”

“Yep!” Ren chirped and then something hit her. “Wait, how did you know his nickname means stripes?”

“Oops! Uhhh…” Roxanne floundered, and Ren’s face pinched in pain. 

“Oh Arceus, there’s not some kind of League chat that he talks about me in, is there?”

Roxanne chuckled sheepishly. “Yes, but you didn’t hear that from me.” Ren grabbed her head, posture shrinking with mortification. “Don’t worry about it! It’s not nearly as bad as when Wattson spams us with pictures of his grandkids. And Phoebe and Sidney are real shitposters… Come to think of it, Steven and I have been kicked off a few times for talking about fossils. Apparently we’re supposed to ‘keep that rock shit to ourselves’ and ‘not freak everyone out by blowing up the chat with eight-hundred-and-sixty-three messages.’”

That pulled a chuckle out of Ren. She had to wonder who was the admin if not the Champion, and who was reprimanding? 

Roxanne smiled before leaning in, face suddenly stony, and she gripped Ren’s shoulder firmly. “But seriously, this conversation never took place.”

Ren snapped to attention. “_Hai, sensei!_”

Roxanne straightened up and smiled again. “I like you, Ren. Let’s get started.”

They paced back to their squares, and Roxanne sent out a Geodude.

“Alright, Shima, Knock ’em dead!”

Tāraki ran into the ring and tensed, whole body quivering with excitement.

“Celestine, Rock Throw!”

“Dodge and Mega Drain, Tāraki!”

The Geodude started hurling rocks, but Tāraki skittered out of the way and dove behind the nearest rock. He climbed it and leapt from one to the next, zig-zagging but drawing ever closer to his opponent. The next projectile flew over his head as he ducked and danced away from three more, grin broadening. He used the last as a stepping stone to reach the top of a high boulder and launched a Mega Drain at the spent Geodude.

“Nice one, Shima!”

“Tackle, Celestine!”

“Quick Attack!”

The Geodude lunged forward and leapt up, but Tāraki slammed its arm on his way down and knocked it off balance. It crashed into the side of the boulder and rolled to the floor.

“Tackle!”

“Mega drain!”

The Geodude charged, but Tāraki flipped over it, bouncing off its head with his hands. Before the Geodude could come around, Tāraki sapped its remaining strength, and it rolled to a stop. Roxanne withdrew it.

“Well done.” She sent out a Nosepass. “Akivi, let’s hem in this acrobat: Rock Tomb!”

The Nosepass’s palms glowed, and rocks began to hail down around Tāraki on all sides. He hopped around trying to avoid them but had nowhere to run and disappeared beneath them. His head popped out as a stone fell away, and he strained to free himself as the Nosepass prepared to hit him again.

“You can still hit her from there!” Ren called to him. “Use Mega Drain!”

Tāraki stopped struggling, charged, and fired. The Nosepass remained impassive, but Tāraki glowed as its energy flowed into him, and he burst out of the rock pile. 

“Rock throw!”

Tāraki dashed from one piece of cover to the next as projectiles fired at him and shattered.

“Mega Drain!”

“Tackle!”

Tāraki stopped moving to charge up his attack, and the Nosepass ran at him. Tāraki’s Mega Drain landed, but the Nosepass was undeterred and crashed into him. He went flying back but landed on his feet on a bit of high ground. 

“One more Mega Drain!”

“Rock Tomb!”

The Nosepass readied her attack, but Tāraki was faster. The rocks she was lifting fell to the floor before she could fire them. Tāraki puffed out his chest as the last of her energy flowed into him. The Nosepass drooped ever so slightly and was still. Roxanne withdrew her.

“Congratulations you two!” Roxanne called, withdrawing her pokemon. She walked down into the arena to meet Ren in the middle. Tāraki leapt down, and Ren caught him in her arms, holding him to her chest as he squeezed her neck.

“You’ve certainly demonstrated you know the basics.” Roxanne continued. “Plenty of trainers can win their first badge with a simple type advantage, but the way you countered my attacks shows dedicated practice and solid strategy.” She pulled a small box out of her pocket and offered it to them. “I’ve rarely been so happy to hand over a badge.”

“Thank you,” said Ren, and the strain in her tone took her by surprise. She should be happy about this. She had been a moment ago, but now a familiar dread clawed at the back of her throat, squeezed her ribs. She remembered the heat coursing through her veins as she directed Tāraki, and her arm gave a throb.

“And Ren.” She wrenched herself back out of her head to look Roxanne in the eyes. “Good luck with whatever you decide. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do.”

The pressure in her chest lifted and sighed back into position. A smaller smile returned as Tāraki wriggled up around her neck to get back to his usual spot on her shoulder. “I won't.”

Ren thanked her again as they parted and walked slowly back to the rest of her team waiting in the challenger’s square. Even after all that strain, Tāraki’s tail waggled with frenetic energy behind her head.

“Well, Tāraki, is it everything you hoped and dreamed?”

“Hell yeah it was!” he crowed, and Māia whooped, pale underwings flashing. “That was so much fun!” Ren couldn’t help but smile, and Tāraki grinned back at her. “Although, I wouldn’t have minded evolving super dramatically in the middle of the match like Jay.” 

Ren laughed. “Maybe next time.” She held up the badge to him. “Should I put this away or do you want to wear it?”

“I don’t care about that thing. No offense. I mean it’s shiny and whatever, but I don’t need it. I just want to battle like that again! Really push myself, you know? That was seriously awesome!”

“_You_ were seriously awesome. I’ll take it into consideration.”

“I’m taking the next Gym!” Māia reminded them, shoving Tāraki’s tail aside to claim Ren’s other shoulder.

Kai came bounding out of the stands. “You did so well! That was such a cool battle! Using the terrain like that—all those awesome flips Tāraki was doing—we have to battle again!”

“Alright,” said Ren, stifling a giggle. 

“But you probably have to get going…” He stared down at his feet. 

“We’ll see each other in a week, just north of Slateport, right?” He glanced at her as he nodded, and she flashed him a big smile. She wasn’t sure which of them needed the reassurance. “Train hard between all the science or we’re gonna beat you into the ground!”

“We will!”

This time, when she hugged him, it wasn't stiff. 

“Um, could you maybe do me a favor though?”

“Sure! What's up?”

“Could you get me Steven Stone’s autograph?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tāraki did not evolve until after the gym fight in game, so I wanted it keep that image of my little gecko boy wiping the floor with a rock colossus. And I also wanted to save his evolution for a different moment that has a little more long tern significance to his relationship with Ren. This was an easy battle in game and I didn't want to make it more dramatic than necessary. I've got groundwork to lay around here. You'll get your dramatic battles later on.
> 
> Characters:  
  



	9. Extra One: Jumpin’ Jack Flash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Zinnia uses Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doing something a bit different this week. Instead of a regular chapter, I bring you the first RH extra! These extras will be told from Zinnia's POV and run largely parallel to the main story but occasionally intersecting. The goal is for them to enrich a side of the plot Ren and Latios don't have access to, but not be essential to the main story. So I hope they're fun but they aren't required reading!

Zinnia was going to tear this incompetent twit a new asshole when she found him. How did he manage to screw up a simple task not once, but twice? As if she didn’t have enough to do, now she had to clean up this idiot’s mess.  
  
And really, that was the least of it. She could see right where this was headed. Mr. Stone wasn’t an idiot. If the old man were only a little less perceptive, they would have had what they needed two months ago. The only sensible thing for him to do now would be to get the prototype to someone who couldn’t be compromised—his son. Once Maximus put two and two together, he’d send a squad to ambush the Giratina-damned _League Champion_ like the arrogant dick he was. And Courtney—who Steven _knew_ and would _recognize_—would lead it because no one else had the chance of a Bergmite in a volcano of overpowering him, superior numbers be damned.  
  
Maximus wouldn’t care. He was already impatient for the next phase. So he’d take the risk regardless and expose them weeks ahead of schedule.  
  
Why did she even bother planning when they’d all just chuck her hard work right out the window at the first little bump in the road?  
  
Well, it wasn’t really fair to blame them for what they couldn’t see. But she wasn’t about to explain it to them. They couldn’t be trusted. Not if they tripped over every hurdle. Zinnia didn’t even want to contemplate how they’d fall apart if they knew she was pulling the strings. She couldn’t say anything about it. She just had to nod her head yes as if she were none the wiser and let it happen.  
  
And that was why this peon was dead.  
  
He wasn’t in his room because why should anything in her life be easy?  
  
“The rec room at the end of the hall,” said Aster. Zinnia looked down at her daughter—always keen, always listening, always helpful—and just like that, half the anger melted off her. She held onto the rest for the job she still had to do. “They’re watching TV.”  
  
The Whismur hopped towards it, and Zinnia followed. The door was open and there sat three men on a couch, two watching and one sketching on a large work pad. She was in their peripheral vision, but none of them looked. Almost no one did.  
  
Zinnia had seen the artist and the one slouched on the other end together several times before, which meant they were a unit and didn’t run solo missions. That left the gangly teen in the middle.  
  
Now she understood. He was a child. Who the hell assigned him to her division in the first place?  
  
Zinnia stayed still in the doorway and watched him. He hunched over, arms resting on his knees and ass barely perched on the edge of the couch cushion. A copy of _White Fang_ lay discarded on the coffee table, and a dull brown Poochyena went ignored at his feet as he stared intently at a news report, face tight.  
  
“Mr. Stone, owner and president of Devon Corporation, held a press conference this morning in conjunction with the Rustboro police chief, Hine Honda, reassuring anxious business owners and workers of his intention to support the repair of Rusturf Tunnel.” Even in the accompanying footage, he did indeed look kind and reassuring, far more so than the chief of police and her dour Hariyama. “The tunnel collapsed yesterday after being damaged by the combined Uproar attack of a stampede of wild Whismur and Loudred, setting the nearly completed project back for the fifth time this year alone. Thankfully, emergency responders report that no one was injured, but there is no word yet on how much longer it will take to repair the damage.”  
  
The other man rose from his slump to scoop the remote off the coffee table, and switched the channel.  
  
“You shouldn’t be watching that stuff, bro.”  
  
“You heard Terra at mess,” said the other without looking up from his drawing. “Probably would have happened anyway.”  
  
“Not your fault!” the first said with a clap on the back that made the kid jump.  
  
“The press is going to get a lot worse soon. It’s best to just ignore it.”  
  
“And don’t worry about Tabitha. I’m sure she doesn’t blame you.”  
  
“It was m-m-my fuck-up, Hart,” the kid finally responded with a pronounced stutter. “I’m p-pretty sure she b-b-blames me.”  
  
The other one elbowed the kid. “She thinks everyone is incompetent. You’re not special. That’s why she gets to boss people around while we have to do all the actual legwork.”  
  
“Th-thanks, Brent.” He sounded sincere, but not particularly heartened.  
  
“It was a shitty assignment and you had some pretty rotten luck, that’s all.” Hart slid back down again and put his feet up on the coffee table. “You were doing your job. Shit just goes south sometimes. You haven’t been a trainer that long and your Poochyena isn’t exactly a seasoned battler. Have you thought about maybe—”  
  
“Fang d-did fine! That t-trainer just pulled a d-dirty trick, having her Shroomish St-st-stun Spore me like that.”  
  
Now that part Zinnia hadn’t heard. Hardly a trick, just smart. Smart in a way most people weren’t. She rather liked the sound of this trainer.  
  
“See?” said Hart, as if that solved everything. “You just got dealt a shit hand as usual. Nothing to beat yourself up about.”  
  
“I know,” the kid mumbled.  
  
He sure was beating himself about it though. Seemed excessive to march in and chew him out now. But she had a reputation to uphold here and she didn’t know when she’d get another chance like this.  
  
Time to play her part.  
  
“JOSH!” she thundered, and Aster boosted it enough to make the furniture rattle.  
  
The kid damn near jumped out of his skin and threw an arm up to protect his face. _Dragon’s teeth!_ But she couldn’t stop now.  
  
“How the fuck did you fail the same job twice!”  
  
This time, his stutter was so thick that nothing got past it, and the others were too stunned to move their tongues.  
  
“You had better get your fucking act together because this is the last time I clean up after you! Next time, it’ll be whoever’s on maintenance duty,” she spat, and he withered away from her glare. Then she turned on her heel and left. But she didn’t go far, just enough to make them think she was gone.  
  
“That nearly gave me a heart attack,” Hart groaned.  
  
Brent let out a big sigh, probably at the dark line he’d slashed across his drawing in fright.  
  
“I’m s-s-s-such a fuck-up,” the kid sniffled.  
  
“Naw, bro, that’s just Azalea,” Hart soothed, patting him more gently this time. “She’s always like that. She nearly bit my head off last week for nothing.” Zinnia didn’t even remember it. “Look, we all knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but it’s worth it, you know? We’ve just gotta focus on our goals, that’s what’s important. There’s gonna be some ugly press about us soon, but they’ll come back around when this is all over. People are fickle, but it’s up to us to help them out.”  
  
“Just keep working hard and things will get better,” said Brent. “They’ll get better for all of us.”  
  
“Y-you’re right.”  
  
Ah, there it was. Final question answered. He believed in it, what Maximus was trying to do. She could hear it in his voice. It wasn’t fear, but guilt, that was making the kid agonize over his failure. That was why he was in her division. That was why he was assigned the mission and would probably still be given more like it. Because it was simple and should have been easy, but should the worst have happened—should he ever be captured and questioned—he wouldn’t give them up. Because he was loyal and Maximus understood the value of it—probably held it in higher regard than she did.  
  
Zinnia stowed that away for safekeeping. More knowledge gained. One job accomplished. Now on to the next.  
  
“Yeah, don’t let that crazy bitch get to you.”  
  
That was her, even with Courtney for competition. Azalea was the crazy bitch. Zinnia had to smile. These clowns didn’t know the half of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters:  
  



	10. Rock and a Hard Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren meets the Hoenn League Champion and runs afoul of the plot

Dewford Island was smaller than Ren expected, and the walk from town on the southeast end to Granite Cave on the northwest end only took about three hours. It was lovely; all pale sand and rolling dunes dotted with flowers. Rounded granite marched up through the middle of the island, obscuring the other side. Panahi floated on the breeze, a fond smile on her face as she listened to the calls of the Wingull colony on the far side of the rocky hills. Māia tumbled and dipped above them, reveling in the updraft while Tāraki dashed up and down the beach chasing the waves and Iki skimmed over the shallows. Akahana and Hakeka walked just beyond the reach of the sea where the damp sand was a little firmer, and Ren took off her boots to walk barefoot beside them.  
  
A sign by the cave entrance declared: _Only one pokemon per person. All sound-based, concussive, and earthshaking moves are strictly forbidden_. So Ren withdrew all but Akahana before she went in. The covert nature of their mission meant that Ren didn’t know where exactly the Champion would be, so they would rely on Akahana’s nose to guide them. She snuffled around the entrance for a minute or so before following the freshest scent trail deeper in.  
  
The tunnels, or at least the main ones, were lit by strings of soft electric lamps powered by a solar panel outside. The light was made all the warmer by the pink hue of the granite walls, and the air sighed like a breath. It felt homey and lived in. She was welcome here.  
  
They turned down a side tunnel and descended. Aron and Zubat peeked out from the shadows but let them pass without challenge. Geodude remained still as statues, Abra teleported away in a blink, Makuhita and Mawile shuffled off, and a Sableye feeding on a crystalline deposit fixed them with its uncanny gem-like eyes before loping into the darkness.  
  
“Just ahead,” said Akahana.  
  
A vertical shaft opened up, and beyond it, the tunnel started to drop off precipitously. The chamber wasn't far across and, at first inspection, unoccupied. But Akahana nudged Ren’s leg and pointed up with her snout. The ceiling was far above them, and a whiff of sea air suggested at least some part of the shaft went all the way to the surface. But before that, a young man in spelunking gear hung from the wall, headlamp bathing a section of the overall dimness in bright illumination. As she watched, he chipped away gently with a small pick, sending tiny pebbles pinging to the floor beside her. He then returned the pick to his belt and grabbed a brush. The light of his headlamp gleamed off his safety goggles as he leaned in to carefully brush some dust away. It floated gently down, glittering softly.  
  
Akahana nudged her again. Right! She should probably announce herself.  
  
“Hello!”  
  
He looked down at her with a friendly smile. “Hello down there!”  
  
“Are you Steven Stone?”  
  
“Yes I am! I’ll be down in just a moment.”  
  
He stowed his equipment and pushed off the wall, repelling down in one graceful arc. He unhooked himself and pushed up his goggles before removing his helmet. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook it out so that it was no longer plastered to his head. It settled like a silver cloud, soft, irregular, and weightless. It played wonderfully against the warm brown of his skin. His brows and lashes were pale as polished sterling, and his eyes were a bright and vivid turquoise.  
  
He was absurdly gorgeous. Ren already knew this. She'd seen pictures of him. She'd looked him up right before coming here just to make sure she'd recognize him. She'd known all about his perfect nose and elegant jawline. But she hadn't expected to be _affected_ by it. That was… that was new.

> “Do we really need this part? Maybe we could skip ahead a little?”  
  
_Given the current circumstances, I believe your relationship with Steven is quite relevant._
> 
> “Fiiiine.”

“I’m Ren Kosugi.”  
  
His smile became even more radiant, if that were possible. “A pleasure to meet you, Ren.” He extended a hand, and she took it. “So, are you a fan of cave paintings or did you need me for something?”  
  
Ren paused for a moment before answering, but despite the mental preparation, her tongue still betrayed her. “I needed you—” If she wasn't blushing before, she certainly was now. She could feel the heat welling up from her chest and radiating from her face. “I didn’t even know there were cave paintings here. Your father asked me to deliver a package.” Ren dove into her bag to stop looking at him for a moment, and he thanked her as handed him the parcel.  
  
“He didn't even let me know you were coming,” Steven murmured, almost to himself. He sighed. “Well, trouble always comes in twos. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.”  
  
“Sorry to be the _Yamikarasu_ before the storm.”  
  
He blinked back to the moment. “Not at all. I don't know how much my father told you, but this is extremely important. Thank you again for agreeing to deliver it.”  
  
“It was no trouble. I'm glad I came to Dewford.”  
  
“It is quite lovely. Though admittedly, I don't spend much time on the island aboveground. Will you challenge the gym while you're here?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Excellent. Brawley won't be easy, but it should be a fun battle.”  
  
“Māia will be glad to hear that.” Ren somehow hadn’t expected him to be this nice and friendly. But then again, there was a good chance he felt obligated to be. Maybe she should give him an out. “Where are the cave paintings you mentioned?”  
  
“I’ll take you. It’s the least I can do.” Well, obligation or no, she wasn’t going to refuse the offer. “Actually, hang on a moment.” He picked his bag off the floor and rummaged through it. “You have a Taillow, don’t you?”  
  
Right. They all knew her already. “I do.”  
  
Steven smiled, and then his face suddenly grew taught and his lips retreated into his mouth, like he'd said to much.  
  
“Don't worry, Roxanne already spilled about the group chat.”  
  
“Thank Arceus!” He sagged in relief before snapping back to attention. “Wait, did she really?” Ren nodded, and his face wrinkled in fiendish delight. “I can never properly repay you for this invaluable intelligence! I'm saving this for the next time she thinks she can correct my Anorith claw identification!” Ren felt a little bad for tattling on her, but that light in his eyes was hard to resist. He gave a somewhat sheepish little chuckle. “We’re friends, I swear.” He took a calming breath and relaxed a little, though he was still near bubbling with mischief. It was a pleasant change from his subdued worrying over the prototype.  
  
She was even more curious about it now, but didn’t want to bring the mood back down by asking. Besides, the fact that he hadn’t volunteered any more on his own suggested he wouldn’t tell her either way.  
  
He pulled a TM out of a case in his bag and held it out to her. “Anyway, please accept this. It’s Steel Wing, my favorite move.”  
  
Ren almost turned it down—TMs were very expensive—but between Steven's hopeful expression and how angry Māia would be if she heard that Ren had refused it, that wasn't much of an option. “Thank you.”  
  
He stowed the package in his vapor box and stripped off his climbing harness, folding it neatly with the rest of his things before gesturing down the tunnel.  
  
“Shall we?”  
  
They headed off with Akahana trailing behind, and Steven pointed out various mineral deposits and formations as they went along. The most dramatic of which was a section of tunnel through black stone rather than mottled pink.  
  
“Now this,” Steven paused to gesture grandly, “is why the caverns exist in the first place. It's a dolerite intrusion.”  
  
“That's when magma pushes through an older rock?” The specific terminology was pushing the bounds of her Anglic mastery, but she had taken geology as one of her science electives, so she could at least take a crack at the words she wasn’t sure of.  
  
“Exactly so!” A smile broke across his face, and suddenly Ren felt unreasonably proud of her guess. Steven’s fingers brushed gently across the rough black stone as if it were velvet. “This particular dolerite is exceptionally rich in iron, which is how an island this small can maintain such a robust Aron population.”  
  
She glanced around and suddenly the regular grooves in the concave walls became obvious as claw and horn marks. “I saw a few on my way in, but I didn't know they excavated this.”  
  
He turned slowly, giving her a moment to fall in step beside him before continuing. “It's not terribly common knowledge outside of the locals and some rock hunters like myself, but my Aggron grew up here. She's out foraging and catching up with friends, but she'll be along.”  
  
“No wonder you’re such an expert on this place.” Compliments like that always flowed easily off Ren’s tongue, and a cheeky smile accompanied it as naturally as anything, but this time it made her feel pleasantly warm.  
  
Steven hummed. “Gilchrist knows these tunnels as well as her armor.” His eyes flickered over her face and his lip turned upward at whatever he found there. “If you don't mind a detour, there's a siltstone deposit down this way with some truly spectacular stromatolites.”  
  
“I don't mind at all!” She bounced on the balls of her feet. “Only, what is a stromatolite?”  
  
“They are columns formed by almost innumerable layers of cyanobacteria growing atop one another to reach the sun,” he explained with a poetic folding and upturning of his hands. “Thus given the right conditions, the layers can form organic patters in the rock, much the way pattern welding shows the many folds that went into the steel when polished just so.”  
  
“Now that I've heard of. It's so pretty! And I had no idea bacteria could be responsible for rock formations.”  
  
“Not only that, but stromatolites are the oldest fossils we have and an invaluable window into ancient life on the planet!”  
  
The stromatolites turned out to be quite striking, and there was so much to know about them. Steven explained it all quite thoroughly, with the detailed information accompanied by dramatic gestures and an infectious enthusiasm in his tone.  
  
He reminded her of Kai just a little—except that he left little pauses for clarification and to gage her interest, whereas she usually had to tap Kai to get a word in edgewise. Ren wasn’t sure what exactly she’d been expecting, but Steven was definatly a surprise. Certainly a far cry from the intimidating force of nature who was the current Sekiei League Champion. He was, well, a huge dork really, but a charming one.  
  
After many turnings, rock facts, and stories Steven’s Aggron had told him about her ancestors, they emerged into a large oblong chamber covered in murals. There were no clear divisions between the different sections; instead, the images marched seamlessly along through different scenes, all spilling forth from a giant central painting of what must be two gods. They looked vaguely familiar. Maybe her father had once told her stories about them.  
  
“These paintings were made by the Draconid people approximately twenty-five hundred years ago. It contains most of their history. The central mural depicts the formation of Hoenn and the surrounding islands as a battle between the climate gods Groudon and Kyogre.”  
  
Yes, she did know them, though hazily. But what she had at first thought were rolling clouds above them was actually a great serpentine god she didn’t know at all.  
  
“The part that draws most scholars is the portrayal of the climate gods. Their forms are quite unlike all other depictions of them. Once, most historians simply wrote it off to artistic license, but in recent years, many have theorized that this is meant to represent their mega evolutions. But they appear to draw their power from deep in the earth rather than from humans or mega stones.” Steven gestured to the lines that swept up from the floor of the cavern and into the core of each god. “Draconid elders say that this represents their primal forms, as they were when Arcues first created them, distinct from their more current forms but also not mega evolutions. I tend to think that story is closest to the truth since it was their ancestors who made the paintings. But the debate wages on.”  
  
“_Masaka_,” Ren murmured appreciatively. “I can’t believe I never heard about this. I guess Johto has its own mysteries to focus on. Thanks for showing me. This is unbelievably cool.”  
  
“I wish I could tell you more about the rest, but ancient studies aren’t exactly my area of expertise.”  
  
Akahana growled low, and they both whipped around. Whatever had set her off wasn’t in sight yet, or in Ren’s hearing. “Six humans, more pokemon.”  
  
“Trainers?” Ren asked.  
  
Akahana nodded. “I don’t like their footfalls.”  
  
Ren looked over at Steven. His expression had hardened, and a hand hovered over the pokeballs at his belt. “Magma.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
“Go.” He pointed. “There’s a tunnel just down there.”  
  
“Wait, I’m not just gonna leave you to fight six trainers by yourself!”  
  
“The last thing we need is for them to see you in connection with the prototype again. Three instances is no longer a coincidence.” She couldn't argue with that, but it didn't make leaving him okay. He took her shoulder and met her eyes. “I'll be fine.” He had that tone that made him easy to believe, just like his father. “I’ll call for you if I need help, I promise.”  
  
Ren patted his arm in return before hurrying into the side tunnel with Akahana. They stopped as soon as they were out of sight and not a moment too soon. There were footsteps, shouts, wingbeats, and then a pregnant pause.  
  
“Hand over the prototype!” A woman's voice. There was something unsettling about it. A ragged edge that that grated her nerves.  
  
“Dr. Courtney Kagari!” Steven answered. “I almost didn't recognize you. It's been so long. I'm glad to see you've pursued that interest in training, though I must admit I'm a little disappointed Dr. Matsuda didn't come himself.”  
  
“Enough! We're business people. Let's complete this transaction.”  
  
“That's our parents, not us. We chose different careers for ourselves. I don't think I've ever had the chance to tell you, but I really do admire what you've accomplished with their fortune.”  
  
Ren hadn't detected any sarcasm in his tone, but Courtney snarled. “_Give me the parts!_”  
  
“I assume you must be after a Devon project? Then I’m afraid I must disappoint you. I don’t have it.”  
  
Shrill cackling pierced Ren’s ears and echoed through the caverns, growing deeper as it went, like the stone itself was laughing.  
  
“Do you really think it wise to take on the League Champion?” They must have been advancing on him.  
  
“No one’s invulnerable, Stone.”  
  
“True,” Steven answered. There wasn't even a hint of fear in it. The easy confidence remained unshaken. There was only amusement and excitement. “But some of us are a little closer than others.”  
  
Flashes of red played across the tunnel entrance, commands jumbled together, and a deep metallic cry rang out above the roars, shrieks, and snarls as pokemon rushed into battle. Ren and Akahana stayed out of sight around the corner, trying to make sense of the sounds of moves flying and bodies connecting. Dr. Kagari and her cohort shouted attacks, but Ren didn’t hear Steven’s voice again until the glare of flames lit the rock across from her.  
  
“MIND THE MURALS!” he thundered. “Those paintings are over two thousand years old!”  
  
The ground beneath Ren’s feet trembled and Akahana whipped around, hackles on end and bristling. A flood of Zubat crashed over them like water, too fast for Ren to do anything but throw her arms in front of her face. Hundreds of wings buffeted her from all sides, and she tottered as their high shrieks cleaved her skull. The world spun around her—Supersonic.  
  
“Look out!”  
  
Ren peered out from behind an arm and swiveled in time to see the tattered image of something barreling towards her. She staggered, and a moment later, a flash of electricity punched a hole in the flow of Zubat around her, giving her an unobstructed view. Akahana’s blinding teeth sank into a the arm of a Makuhita and before Ren could move or force her tongue to form a warning, the wild socked Akahana in the gut with a glowing fist, launching her into the rock. She hit with horrible thud that struck Ren’s ears above the din, and tumbled down the wall’s curvature to sprawl limply across the floor. This time she did not roll back to her feet.  
  
_No! No! No!_  
  
Ren took a step towards the Makuhita as it rounded on her, then froze as white hot pain roared up her arm. Her other hand snapped to her belt, and she sent out Tāraki. The wild charged him, but he leapt over it and slammed it in the back of the head with his tail. That was enough to down it, but Tāraki climbed atop it just to be sure. Ren rifled through her bag, shaking her head as if that would clear it any faster. She sprayed a potion over Akahana with trembling hands as the last of the Zubat flew out above them.  
  
“Just hang in there! We’ll get you to the Center soon, I promise.”  
  
Ren watched Akahana’s side, but the everything was still moving too much to tell if she was breathing. She put her hands on Akahana but couldn’t feel her heartbeat over a rumble rising up through the floor. Tāraki planted himself in front of them as a Lairon loomed out of the darkness. It roared and charged right for them. Ren wasn’t sure what she yelled as Tāraki ran to meet it, but suddenly energy was flooding out of her and into him. He evolved in a flash as bright as lightning, sending a ripple through the surrounding air. He threw all of his newfound power into a single slash that knocked the Lairon off course. Its head bumped the wall and left a gouge before it swung back to center and stormed out of the tunnel.  
  
Ren let out a deep sigh. Her body felt heavy. Tāraki returned to her side, and she stroked Akahana gently, watching for the slight rise and fall of her shallow breathing. She felt callused hands on her face that weren’t there trying to pull her eyes away, her father’s voice saying words she couldn’t hear. There was only blood, the prone pokemon before her, and shuddering, gasping breaths that would gutter out to stillness.  
  
Ren hadn’t noticed the sounds of battle stop, but suddenly Steven was there, gripping her shoulder to bring her back. “What happened?”  
  
Red seeped back into her memories. There were no gaping wounds—though internal bleeding was probable. She was still breathing. “A wild attacked us. My Poochyena…”  
  
“I’ll get you to the Pokemon Center. Come.”  
  
Ren returned Akahana to her ball, but wouldn’t let go even to stow it. Steven pulled her along by her other hand to the surface, then helped her aboard his Skarmory. They flew fast and low along the coast and ran up to the intake counter. Trainers weren’t allowed in the ICU, so Ren collapsed on one of the waiting room couches.  
  
She didn't ask Steven to stay, but he did. He probably felt responsible, as Ren would have felt in his place, but it was Ren who hadn't withdrawn Akahana when she had the chance, who had taken too long to send out Taraki. All she could see was the button of Akahana’s pokeball blinking red over and over until it went black.  
  
Then there was a flash of silver. Ren blinked. It was the rings on Steven’s hand, palm up before her. She took it, a little more roughly than she intended, and he squeezed her gently back.  
  
“She'll be alright.”  
  
Ren wanted to believe him. The calm assurance in his voice made it easier. Maybe she would pull through. Akahana was nothing if not resilient. But even if she did survive, it wouldn't be alright. Ren knew that as surely as she knew her arm would always ache, as sure as it throbbed right now with her pulse. But if she lived, at least Ren would have a chance to make it better somehow. She really wanted a chance this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt very guilty about this one because I should have known better, so I had some feelings to channel for Ren here. And it certainly turned a boring errand into something eventful. Not sure when I got the bright idea to put Magma in Granite Cave but I'm still pleased with it all this time later. This was another one of those chapters that I spent a lot of time fiddling with, because the original version had so much untapped potential.  
Anyway, how do y'all like Steven? I enjoy the hell out of writing him. He's one of those characters who just keeps surprising me. I learned some new things writing his cameos in Tightrope that I hadn't even figured out by the end of Running Hot!
> 
> Characters:  



	11. It’s Not Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ren nurses old wounds, battles for her second badge, and learns how to surf

Ren sat on a long beam of driftwood, worn smooth by sand and surf and bleached bone-white by sun and salt. Foam drifted across the sand, and whitecaps gleamed out behind the rolling breakers. The sunset played pink and orange across the glittering water, and red flashed across the sand as Ren released her team from their pokeballs, all except for Akahana.

“Those people who were after the Devon prototype came after it again. Steven kept us out of the battle, but it set off some wild pokemon and Akahana was badly injured protecting me.”

“Is she alright? Where is she?” Iki demanded with a shrill edge of worry.

“There was some internal bleeding, so the doctors are keeping her overnight for observation, but her prognosis is good. No battling for a week to make sure the cracked ribs mend well, but she should be released tomorrow morning.”

They all seemed relieved, except for Hakeka, who just looked around at the others. Then, all Ren could see was Akahana shifting and wincing on her gurney—downplaying her injuries despite the pain she was in. Ren couldn't decide if Akahana was trying to spare her or if she was afraid. She couldn’t decide which was worse. The Poochyena had seemed startled by Ren's apology and agreed to remain on the team without the slightest hesitation.

“I'm so sorry. I should never have taken the job.”

“There's no need for that,” said Panahi, nudging her arm with a wing. “None of us blame you, Honey. It was just an accident. These things happen.”

“I bought us here and then I panicked! If I had done what I was supposed to do and recalled her in time, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt!”

“Battling is dangerous sometimes. We all know that,” chirped Māia. “Akahana knew what she was signing up for.”

“Yeah, you sent me out,” said Tāraki. “And you helped me evolve to fight the rest of the wilds off. You’re a good trainer!”

“I think you’re being a bit hard on yourself,” said Panahi with a tilt of her head. “I know I just lectured you about taking responsibility, but there is a difference between that and blaming yourself for things you can’t control.”

Ren’s eyes fell and her face tightened. She bit her lower lip and said nothing.

Iki stepped forward. “I understand if this scares you. Battling still scares me a little. But I don’t think you’re a bad trainer and we are a lot safer with you than we would be alone.”

“Thank you. I’ll do better next time, I promise.” Her team shared a few glances and Panahi sighed, shuffling her wings. “In any event, we’ll be here a few days at least while Akahana recovers. I was thinking we could challenge the gym here. Māia, I know you missed out last time, so I want to give you the opportunity to take the lead on this one.”

“Hell yeah!”

“Do you mind backing her up, Ahi?”

“Not at all, Honey.”

“Great! I’m gonna wade in the surf for a bit. You gals can all relax.”

Ren got up and went down to the water, trying not to run. It took a few moments, but Iki and Tāraki came to join her. The wind carried Hakeka’s chattering from up the beach.

“I think we are ready for the gym,” Panahi answered, “but I’m a little worried about her.”

* * *

Ren and her pokemon stood in front of the Dewford gym. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as Rustboro, but interesting nonetheless. The building was a ring of interlocking aluminum plates set on stilts above the sand to keep it above the storm surge. Ren could see the circular sand battlefield through the struts and what was probably a retractable roof folded neatly above the structure, waiting for inclement weather to be deployed. But for now, all was bathed in warm, sparkling sunlight.

“I know we won’t all be battling,” Ren said as she looked up the long stairs to the door, “but I would like everyone to stay out and watch.” Ren turned back to her pokemon, and her eyes caught on the bandages around Akahana’s middle. Blue scales, an IV line, and a gurney she can barely see over swims through her vision before she forces it back. “We’re a team so we are going to do this together.”

“Yeah! Go team!” Tāraki crowed.

Panahi and Hakeka rolled their eyes at his enthusiasm, but Māia whistled in agreement. Iki just hunkered down on the sand, face tilted down. Ren wished she knew how to help her. She'd figure something out after they won this badge.

After registering, they waited in the arena as a few trainers assembled to face them. Ren took off her boots to feel the warm sand between her toes. She stretched up and down, then side to side.

“Māia, do you want to warm up on a few of these guys?”

“Nope. I’m ready. Tāraki can have them.”

“Yes!” Tāraki pumped his fist.

> _There was another conversation between your pokemon during the trainer matches that I think it may benefit you to hear._
> 
> “Oh, well go ahead then. I’ll circle back to my point.”

The rest of the team watched as Tāraki squared off with a Mienfoo, Māia whistling encouragement while Hakeka eyed him critically. Iki crouched, stirring swirls into the sand with her foot. She glanced up at Akahana, who was observing the battle with her usual passive expression. Akahana’s eyes slid over to her and Iki squirmed for another moment before breaking the silence.

“I—it’s just—We’re supposed to be a team, but I can hardly even talk to Māia and Ahi.” Iki’s black eyes lingered on Akahana’s bandages. “I’m not strong enough to be any help when things go wrong.” She sunk down onto the sand, making herself small. “I don’t know why Ren keeps me around.”

Akahana looked back as Ren cheered Tāraki to land a final blow on the Mienfoo. He ran back to her, and she hugged him.

“I think I was wrong before.”

Iki looked back up at Akahana, body tilted in question, and Akahana met her eyes.

“When you asked me for advice, I told you to look out for yourself, and I stand by that. But I don’t think she is going to get rid of us.”

“I don’t think so either,” Iki murmured, bringing her legs in even closer.

Akahana sighed and then pinned her ears for a moment at the pain it caused her. She turned back to the battlefield where Tāraki was facing off with a Timburr.

“Pokemon like us will always have a disadvantage. But not everyone on the team has to be equally strong. None of us can compete with Tāraki now that he’s evolved.”

Taraki caught the Timburr’s driftwood log with a big grin and threw it back at his opponent.

“There will always be someone stronger.”

Tāraki did a high backflip to dodge the next blow, but wasn’t used to his new form and landed wrong.

“But that only means that we have to work harder.”

Tāraki clutched at his arm for a moment, but grit his teeth and landed a Fury Cutter with his good arm. The Timburr fell to the sand.

“I know what it’s like to feel weak.”

Tāraki tried not to grimace as Ren felt his injured arm for a break.

“I know it feels like you’ll never be good enough, but bugs grow fast.”

Tāraki grudgingly agreed to yield the remainder of the battles and Panahi strutted forward to take his place.

“You _will_ catch up.”

Tears welled in Iki’s small, black eyes and the tension started to fall from her posture. “T-thank you, Akahana. I’ve never had such a good friend.”

Akahana pulled her head back and blinked in surprise, but Iki smiled as tears ran down her face and dripped into the warm sand. Slowly and hesitantly, Akahana leaned down, pausing before nudging Iki’s helm gently with her nose. Iki smiled even brighter and stretched up to rub on Akahana’s chin, wiping her tears away with a slender limb.

> _Are you alright?_
> 
> “Mmm. I’ll be fine. You had to know this was coming.”
> 
> _Yes. You did warn me you were—what was that phrase you used? Unbearably sentimental?_
> 
> “Shut it.”

Panahi finished battling the remaining pokemon uninjured, and Ren realized how tight her shoulders had been as they started to relax. She threw a glance at Tāraki and did a few quick stretches, rolling her head until her neck clicked.

A man with sun-bleached hair, a rash guard, and board shorts sauntered into the ring and waited in the middle for her. He tipped down his big, orange shades as she drew close, and a huge toothy grin split his face.

“Reeeen! I didn’t know you were coming my way!” He stowed his sunglasses atop his head and thrust out a hand. His handshake was heavy but relaxed. “Pleasure to finally meetcha, dude! What brings you to Dewford?”

“I had an errand to run.”

“Awww! That’s no fun!” He had no idea. Ren strained to keep smiling. “Glad you decided to drop in.” But she must have given something away, because his own grin fell just a little and his eyes narrowed slightly for an instant. “Hey, you wouldn’t want to come out surfing with us tonight? It’s a full moon, clear skies. Should be pretty sweet!”

“Yeah. That sounds nice.”

“Most excellent!” The toothy grin was back full force.

“Although, I don’t really know how.”

“It’s cool, dude. I’ll bring some of my tamer boards for you.”

“Thank you.”

“No prob! So you here for your second badge? Roxanne told me you totally killed your first, so I'm pumped to face ya. Who’re you gonna use to throw down?

“Māia,” Ren said as the Taillow flew to her shoulder. Māia flashed her wings and chirped in challenge.

Brawly raised his eyebrows. “Aight then! She seems ready to rumble!”

They parted to make room for the battle and Brawly sent out a Meditite. Behind him, more of the gym trainers had gathered and were talking while they watched, but the breeze carried their words away. Ren took a deep breath and focused on Māia.

“Time to show us your moves, little birdie!” Brawly called. “Hua, Feint!”

“Up and outta there, Māia!”

The Meditite sprinted forward and Māia took to the air, narrowly dodging its attack.

“Let’s put a lid on that fancy flying. Confusion!”

Māia came swooping around towards the Meditite, prepping for an attack, but she managed to roll aside just in time to miss the oncoming psychic waves.

“Yes! Now Peck!”

Māia instantly corrected her flight path. She dropped onto the Meditite’s head, dealt a sharp blow with her beak, and took back off again in one fluid movement. The Meditite wobbled, but stayed upright.

“Wing Attack!”

Māia barreled into her turn and came at the Meditite like an arrow, wings glowing light blue. The Meditite crossed its arms in a guard but went careening back as Māia’s strike hit home. Māia landed hard, sand spraying as she skid to a stop in front of her trainer. Without even bothering to turn around, she struck a pose, assured of her victory. Sure enough, the Meditite stayed down. Ten tried not to grin quiet as smugly.

Brawly chuckled. “That’s a righteous Taillow you got there! Let’s see if she can handle something a bit tougher!” He withdrew his Meditite and sent out a Machop. “Kick it off with a Karate Chop, Motu!”

“Parry with a Wing Attack!”

The machop jumped forward, open hand glowing, and Māia spun to meet it with a glowing wing. The two limbs met and both pokemon slid back from the force of the impact.

“Get some momentum and use Steel Wing!”

Māia sprung into the air, quickly building speed as she swept around the ring.

“Wait for it…” Brawly cautioned, and his Machop froze and tensed. Māia dove. “Seismic toss!”

The Machop caught Māia by one glinting wing, using her own momentum to sling her at the gym walls above them. Māia tumbled through the air without a modicum of control.

“Tuck your wings!” Ren commanded in the voice that always gripped her, strong and sharpened sure. Māia obeyed in almost the same instant, spinning even faster without the resistance. “Open!” Māia opened her wings, and slowed enough to turn sharply before she met the wall. “Wing attack!”

The change in course had left Māia diving towards the ground, but she angled up just in time to level off a few feet from the floor. She arrowed straight for her target.

“Karate Chop!”

The Machop braced, hands at the ready, but Māia changed course at the last second. The Machop’s strike sliced through the air where she would have been, and Māia’s wing struck it in the opposite shoulder. The combined momentum set it spinning on its heel before its toes snagged and sent it face first into the sand. Māia used her remaining momentum to vault back up, flip gracefully in the air, and touch back down in between Brawly and his fallen Machop.

“Alright, alright,” Brawly laughed as he withdrew his second pokemon. “I’ve got a bigger challenge for you.” He sent out a Makuhita, and it flexed, thick layer of fat rolling over the muscles beneath. Māia spread her wings and let out a challenging cry in response.

“Bulk Up, Mauī!”

“Wing Attack!”

Māia shot forward as the Makuhita breathed in, entire body glowing. Māia aimed for its chest, but the Makuhita stretched up and out, and Māia hit its stomach instead. She bounced off and tumbled head over tail before landing on her back. She groaned but righted herself.

“Arm thrust!”

Before Māia had a chance to breathe, the Makuhita darted forward with shocking speed, mits glowing brightly. Māia got her wings up to shield herself in time but went sliding back from the impact.

“Parry with Steel Wing!”

Māia met the Makuhita’s next punch with a solid metal wing. She caught its second fist too, and it withdrew its hands, hissing is pain. Māia was puffing, and her wings were drooping, but she grinned smugly. Suddenly, the Makuhita surprised them all by throwing one last punch. Māia was caught completely off guard and went flying back.

Ren clenched her fists. No. They weren’t done yet.

“Nice hustle! One last Knock-Off ought to finish it!”

The Makuhita nodded and lunged forward.

They could still win this.

“**Boomburst!**”

Māia righted herself, dug in, and let loose. The attack always started deceptively quiet—a whistling as the air came together and the pressure massed—before blooming into something so loud Ren could feel it in her bones. The Makuhita hit the wall of sound as if it were solid and bowled over backwards, rolling twice before sinking into the sand. It lay there and groaned, the ring of aluminum walls still resonating around them.

Ren resonated too. Her own magic was in it—her strength leant to her pokemon and their power combined into one overwhelming show of force. A wild joy had seised her and her heart thrummed in her chest.

“Whoa,” Brawly muttered with a yawn, rubbing at his ear.

Ren whistled, and Māia flew to her raised arm. “You did it! The undefeated streak continues!”

“Of course!” Māia chirped. “As if I’d lose to a fighting-type.”

Ren failed to stop a laugh, the giddy warmth of her inner fire bubbling over. “A little humility! They put up a good fight.”

“Yes, worthy opponents.”

“Whooey!” Brawly called, and they looked up to see him on his way over. “That was something else! Congrats you two!”

Ren grinned, and Māia dipped her head.

“Here’s the Knuckle Badge.” He slapped it into her palm. “I gotta tell ya, a lot of trainers come in here with a Taillow or a Wingull or some other little flyer and expect to breeze through on type advantage alone. We usually send those slackers packing. But you two blew us out of the water! Your Taillow’s got guts, and she really knows how to rumble! She’s a true fighter after my own heart. More importantly, ya really trained her well. I thought I had ya a couple times, but you two kept turning it back. Basically, I just wanted to say that you totally earned this badge.”

The thrill of it was still buzzing through her veins, and for one more moment all was as it should have been, as it once was. “Thank you.”

“Absolutely! Your talent and dedication is gonna keep you riding that big wave all the way to the top!”

> “I used to want that. I wanted it _so badly_, but I hadn’t even let myself think about it until he said that. Actually, I still didn’t let myself think about it, not then. If I had, I might not have made it much further. I don’t even remember what I said back.”

Ren clutched her arm. She could barely hear past the chaotic rhythm in here ears.

“You take care now!” Brawly called after her. “And don’t forget to eat dinner early! There’s no hurling on my boards!”

Ren managed a laugh through the tight ache in her throat. “Will do!”

* * *

There were no lights on the beach at night and not many still on in town, but the moon shone brightly. The sand was cast in silver, and the breakers flashed against the dark, glittering water. About a dozen people and their pokemon were gathered around a fire pit when Ren and her team arrived at the agreed-upon spot. Almost all of them were young women around Ren’s age garbed in wet suits or rash guards with varied fighting-types milling between them. Ren wondered if she should have sprang for a rash guard as well, but her two-piece was quite secure. Besides, if observation had taught her anything, it was that the people of Hoenn had fewer qualms about showing skin than her homeland.

A cheer went up as the group caught sight of her, and they gathered round to offer fist bumps and introduce themselves. One asked if Māia was the legendary Taillow, and when Ren confirmed it, they all fell back and made a big show of bowing and groveling, arms outstretched. Māia puffed up, looking supremely pleased, and flexed her wings for them.

Brawly broke through the ring to elbow out a little space and presented her with a longboard. They paddled out, most of the company in tow, and Ren stayed floating past the breaking waves to watch and work on her balance. Many of the pokemon had come out to surf as well with their trainers or on their own boards.

Once Brawly had taken her through the basics and let her watch for a while, he had her kneel on his longboard while he took them in. She managed to stay on the board, and they splashed into the shallows to much applause. Tāraki danced around, yelling about how cool it was, so Brawly volunteered to take him out for a spin, while two of the women eagerly took over coaching Ren.

Soon Tāraki was given his own board, and he and Ren tried their luck side by side. They wiped-out but came up laughing and kept going. Tāraki got the hang of it pretty quick and crowed when he made his first successful run. He collected high-fives as he paddled back out and Ren laughed and laughed.

> _Why are we revising this particular evening? A sorely needed moment of relief?_
> 
> “Yes, but there's more to it than that. It was just like judo and drumming and everything else I tried after I quit trainer school. It was fun, kept my body active and my mind quiet—an element of competition, a sense of camaraderie. I caught myself thinking I could be happy like that. Sometimes I still think I could have been a lot of things. But deep down the fire still burns. And when I try to hold the lid down, the pressure only builds. And the flames eat all my oxygen.”

Not long after her first successful run, Ren retired to the beach and sprawled out on the sand to dry. She continued to watch Tāraki’s antics and the incredibly impressive surfing of the women who had been showing her the ropes.

Her nav buzzed, and she opened it to find a text from Wally.

Wally: Are you okay?

Ren had to think about that for longer than she would have liked.

Ren: Yeah  
What's up?

Wally: (´▽`ʃƪ)  
I was watching the news and the Champ got ambushed in Granite Cave?  
You said you were gonna be there and I got worried (·᷄ὢ·᷅)  
Kinda silly  
But I had to check

Ren: Not that silly actually  
I was there when it happened

Wally: (*ﾟﾛﾟ)

Ren: Steven took care of the battle so I wasn't in the middle of it or anything  
But Akahana got injured by a wild

Wally: Oh no!!  
Is she okay?

Ren looked up, and her eyes fell on the Poochyena. She had dug herself a little divot in the sand and was curled neatly inside with Iki nestled snugly atop her. Ren had never seen her that close to any of her teammates before.

Ren: Yeah

Wallly: Thank goodness!  
Give her a big Ursaring hug from me ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ

The ghost of a smile pulled at Ren’s lips, and the beach fire flared as the wood resettled.

Ren: Will do

Ren almost slipped her nav back in her pocket before it pinged again.

Wally: Swerve  
But  
Did you meet the Champ?

Ren: Yep! We talked for a while before everything happened

Wally: Awesome!  
You're so lucky omg  
Or maybe it’s not such a big deal for you  
Since your dad's a gym leader  
Haha |´∀｀●)

Ren: It was still cool  
Steven is really nice  
But not the first Champion I've met

Wally: (＊〇□〇)……！  
Kaspa?

Ren: Yep

Wally: w(°ｏ°)w ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎᵎ  
What’s she like??

Ren: Uh  
Scary

Wally: (ᗒᗜᗕ) lol I bet

Ren: But also really interesting  
She’s fond my dad because he’s a Sekei League Victor, and they get along well  
She wrote him a letter of recommendation when he applied for Gym Leader here  
She has always been nice to me

Wally: That is so hecking cool!!  
(◎0◎)  
I’m losing my mind!

Ren: Are you settling in okay?  
How are things?

Wally: I’m great!  
My cousin’s fiancé is really nice  
Not as awk as I was afraid it would be  
And Rosalie gave me TWO pokemon!  
She found a Togekiss to pair her Roserade and bred me a Budew with battle lineage!  
She has Giga Drain/Natural Gift/Life Dew/Extrasensory  
Right out of the shell!!  
She’s so feisty!  
I love her so much!  
(灬♥ω♥灬)  
Her name is ♥Beatrice♥

Ren: Cute!

Wally: Then Rosalie swapped some favors with another breeder to get me a therapy Leafeon!  
Her name is Daphne and she is a professional™️  
I feel like she’ll probably give me an earful when the understanding sets in ꉂ(ᵔ̴̶̤᷄ꇴ ᵔ̴̶̤᷅⌯))л̵ʱªʱª⁎*.＊  
I’ve kinda been running around a lot more than I should  
But between Daph and the air up here  
I can actually breathe??  
Like  
I can just  
Go outside?  
Whenever I feel like it??  
Is this how other people live all the time?  
Faris and I have been training almost non-stop  
I mean I’ve had a few _(´□`」 ∠)_ episodes obv  
Just me doing stupid stuff  
_ I was so caught up in the euphoria of **being able to walk around**  
That for like a minute I lived in a world where **my lungs were functional**_

This was quite the shift from the day they met, when he could barely bring himself to reference his illness, and Ren felt warmth flush out the rest of her surprise.

Wally: Oh geez we’ve hit the memes  
Sorry for rambling (o_ _)o

Ren: Dude this is all so fucking amazing  
I’m so happy for you!  
Gush as much as you want

Wally: (◜◒◝)♡

Ren: Haha  
Where are you getting all of these?  
Your texting style is wild

Wally: I have an app! ー(´▽`)ﾉ  
Maybe you should get one  
The way you type out every word is pwecious

Ren: I don’t even know the Kantogo abbreviations that well  
I’m sorry to say you’ve befriended a troglodyte

Wally: Obv

Ren: You know, you’re a lot bolder via text

Wally: Lol that’s cuz I have WAY more practice  
I’ve never had an irl friend before  
Just internet pals

Ren: Maybe you can make more now  
I’ll introduce you to Kai sometime  
He could use more friends too

Wally: Aw thank you!  
Actually  
You’re gonna be in Mauville soon right?

End of next week

Wally: Maybe we can meet up?  
I was planning on getting my first badge

Ren: Nice!  
It’s a date

Wally: ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

> “Even when we barely knew each other, he always had a way of centering me. It’s easy for most people to tell me not to worry so much. They don’t understand the risks, not all of them, not really. But without ever telling me how to feel—or saying anything at all—Wally has always said that it’s _worth it anyway_.”
> 
> ** _And do you believe that now?_ **
> 
> “You think I would be here if I didn’t?”
> 
> ** _I wouldn’t be so certain. But perhaps you might have been less angry with me when I asked you for help._ **
> 
> “…Can’t argue that.”

Ren picked her head up in time to see Tāraki wipe out again, but he came up smiling and paddled right back out. Brawly gave him a high five and then rode in himself on the next good breaker. Some of the others were getting tired enough to settle around the fire. Brawly stuck his board in the sand and plopped down beside Ren.

“So, ya have fun?”

“Yeah! Everyone was so nice.”

Brawly nodded. “They’re a good bunch. And you made quite a splash.”

Ren leaned back on her arms and shot a smirk at him. “Metaphorically, or when I fell off your board?”

He laughed breezily, sliding deeper into his careless slouch. “The former. Everyone was asking if you’d show tonight.”

Ren looked away for a moment, at her pokemon resting in the sand, at the others gathering around the fire. Maybe it was a kind exaggeration. But their enthusiasm had felt quite genuine. Not that she needed to sort out what kind of enthusiasm it was. She’d be gone by tomorrow.

Her eyes found Tāraki in the surf, and her smile returned.

“Thanks for inviting me. Tāraki won’t forget this anytime soon. I think you gave him a new hobby.”

“Never seen a surfing Grovyle before. Usually they can’t stand the salt water.”

“He’s from a tiny island to the south. He said he and the other Treecko used to play in the tide pools and gather seaweed.”

“Far out.”

They were an unusual group, this bunch of surfing pokemon and trainers. On the surface it was nothing like her father’s gym, but perhaps there was one parallel to be drawn. While martial arts were more traditional—in Johto and Kanto at least—the surfing certainly had something to contribute. Strength and balance for one. And thinking back on her battle, there was something in the pokemon’s movements that resonated: energy harnessed and redirected, push and pull.

“You really get it. Usually I have to lay it out for people.”

“Well, maybe there’s something else you can explain to me?”

“Like what?”

Ren eyes flicked back over to the rest of the group. “I notice there are a lot of women in your gym.”

Brawly leaned back with a casual stretch. “Yeah, we keep it pretty steady at three to one.”

“It’s very unusual.”

“I know right?” Suddenly, he was up at attention, and his wide eyes glinted in the firelight. “Most fighting-type gyms are like total sausage fests. But it so doesn’t have to be like that! It’s not like there aren’t tons of ladies out there who like fighting-types. It can just be way harsh to train in a fighting gym if you’re a woman. That’s why I try to keep it chill and welcoming here. Seems to work.”

Ren thought that over for a moment. “Are you sure it’s not cause you’re, ya’know, super good looking?”

That triggered another breezy laugh, and he slicked back the damp hair that fell into his eyes. “I guess some of the trainers that come in are crushing on me or each other.” He shrugged. “I mean, we’re all here to train, so I try to keep the gymcest to a minimum, but I’ve got nothing against the people who just want to feel it out.” He sat back again and thought about it for another moment, and Ren sat forward, crossing her legs and waiting for him to continue. “It’s like, it doesn’t matter why you start something. As long as you work hard and have fun, what’s it really matter?”

“Hm. That’s… really cool, dude. You run a great gym.”

His face broke into a broad, toothy grin. “Thanks! That means a lot.”

They let the silence hang for a while, until Tāraki finally came trudging up the beach, too exhausted to continue. Brawly took back his board, and after a good rinse from Panahi, Tāraki went into his ball.

“You ready to join the rest?” Brawly asked her, jerking his head towards the fire.

“Yeah,” she replied, and they went together.

> “I wasn’t sure why, but what he said resonated then. I was able to let go again for a while—think about the short term instead of what would happen when it all caught up with me.”
> 
> ** _You’re still not sure if that was a positive._ **
> 
> “You’ve seen what happened. Maybe it didn’t help to dwell on the past, but ignoring the future didn’t exactly serve me well in the end.”
> 
> ** _Even if it is not always the case, perhaps it is what you needed in that moment. There is a balance, as in all things._ **
> 
> “Hm. Maybe I’ll find it some day.”
> 
> ** _I think you’ll find that you become a better seeker with every misstep._ **
> 
> “That’s a nice way to look at it. And yet… I suppose it was too much to hope a god of cycles might see an end.”
> 
> ** _Well, then as a god of cycles, let me assure you, that you do not run in circles as much as you think you do._ **
> 
> “That does bring me some comfort.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I return!  
So I think this whole "rewrite in a year" experiment is off the table (thanks a lot body), but I am hoping to get back on some kind of scedule now that I've started again. Maybe my deadline can be next August instead of this one. Who knows?
> 
> Anyway, Deford Gym was a breeze of course! It probably would have been pretty easy with a normal Taillow, and Māia is a beast. I let Panahi flatten the trainers for some exp before setting the battle borb loose on Brawly.  
Speaking of Brawly, I had a lot of fun with his personality and mannerisms, so I'm looking forward to his next appearance. All of the gym leaders get to come back since I've made Ren more connected to them than the standard protag. I hope y'all enjoyed the choreography of the battle and Wally's texting. They were fun for me at least.
> 
> Characters  



	12. Street Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren focuses on training Iki for a while

Slateport was a bustling port city that had slowly taken over the entire cape and began to creep inland. It wasn’t as built up or modern as Kogane, in whose shadow Ren had spent her childhood. Instead it reminded Ren of the more distant Asagi, complete with a towering lighthouse shining above it all.

Ren bought them fresh Carvanha fritters and kumara chips in the crowed market by the fishing docks, then picked up a bag of ginger-coconut biscuits at a bakery as they wove their way south. She’d been missing fish and there was nothing like getting the morning’s catch before noon—even if it wasn’t quite the same as the Koiking korokke and roast yakiimo she used to pick up on her way into town.

Slateport’s beaches were enormous—the largest Ren had ever seen. They wrapped two-thirds of the way around the city and stretched at least a hundred meters beyond the dunes and smooth slate walkway. There were sandbars out further still that people and pokemon had swam to. Ren took off her boots and let her feet sink into the dry, shifting sand. She winced at the scorching heat until it was up to her ankles, but Tāraki flopped down and let out something akin to a purr as he splayed out.

“According to the visitor’s guide, all the battling in the city takes place out here,” Ren told her team.

Māia gave a few experimental flaps on her shoulder. “Excellent! The wind is perfect!”

Panahi clacked her beak in agreement.

“Akahana, you should still be taking it easy, so just let me know if you’d rather rest in your ball.” She nodded. “Iki.” 

The Surskit startled out of Ren’s shadow. “Y-yes?”

“I want you to take the lead, if you feel up to it.”

“What?”

Ren rubbed at her shoulder. “Sometimes it seems like you still don’t think you’re a battler. But that’s my fault for neglecting your training. If you give me another chance, I bet I can prove to you that you can be.” Iki fidgeted. “What’d ya say, little bug? Want to give this a go?”

Iki glanced at Akahana before squaring up to Ren. “Y-yeah, let’s do it!”

> ** _Was it hope, or did you see potential in her?_ **
> 
> “I _knew_ she could be great. Even though it scared her, she always had such unshakable dedication. It ran deeper than even I knew. She threw her all into every fight. The fear never made her freeze, it only made instincts keener. There was no way she wouldn’t become a top battler.”
> 
> ** _I see._ **
> 
> “Is that why I chose her in the first place? I thought…”
> 
> ** _Do not doubt yourself. The way you have sought to heal and empower all of those bonded to you—to use your strength to protect even strangers—is why I chose you. It is at your very core, Ren._ **
> 
> “You’re right. I’ve always wanted to do good with my abilities, even when I still wanted to do great things.”
> 
> ** _It is my belief that you will do both._ **

Trainers were scattered all around and battles took place wherever they could find enough open space between the other beachgoers. Much to Tāraki and Māia’s delight, there were more than enough opponents around the right badge level for Ren’s entire team to get some practice between Iki’s bouts.

The matches by the seaside were particularly exciting and informative. Water moves could manifest so differently with a source so readily available, and fully aquatic pokemon could maneuver in in wholly new ways. And Iki could skate across the waves with a speed and grace that blew her movements across dry land out of the water. 

But high on the beach, where the sand was loose and drifting, her spindle legs sunk beneath the surface and her speed fell behind the Slugma she was facing. It glided across a layer of glass melted by the heat of its magma, and Iki only managed to escape by turning more sharply than it was able. She zigzagged away from a Rock Throw only to be driven further into the sand by an Ember. Ren could see her trembling. 

“Dig deep, Iki! You can do this!”

The shaking stopped as the Slugma surged forward, but instead of ducking down for a Fell Stinger, Iki stood tall and released a rushing stream of bubbles from her open mouth. They burst and hissed upon impact, splattering the Slugma’s viscous skin asunder until is disappeared in a cloud of steam.

The sea breeze cleared it a moment later, revealing a sunken puddle of black rock with magma glowing through the cracks

“Oh,” Iki murmured in shock.

“That was Bubble Beam!” Ren cheered. “You have a water move now! This is gonna change the game for you!”

“Really?”

“Absolutely, little bug!” Ren grinned wide and Iki smiled tentatively back. 

The other trainer stood back up from inspecting her Slugma, and withdrew it. “I’m gonna take Mote to the Pokemon Center.”

“Thanks for the battle!”

“Oh, uh, you too.” The trainer almost turned to go, but hesitated. “You said this was your first time in Slateport, right?”

“Yeah!”

“Then you might not have heard, but they hold tourneys at the Seashore House every Friday. It’s a bar just down there on the west end.” Ren followed where she was pointing and spotted a blue roof a ways off on the beach. “It’s worth a go if you’re still in town tomorrow. I always go.”

Ren threw her an appreciative smile as thanks. “Sounds great! We’ll be sure to check it out.”

“Maybe I’ll see you there then bye!” She said in a rush before jogging off.

Ren turned immediately back to the task at hand. “This is perfect! We just need to do a little target practice and we’ll be ready for thing!”

Iki looked over at the sunken whole where the Slugma had been. “If you say so.”

* * *

The pink and orange of sunset painted the horizon and set the sand alight as Ren and her pokemon set out the next evening. The Seashore House was packed when they entered—filled to the brim with trainers and their pokemon. A smiling middle-aged man and a Tentacool bustled behind the long bar serving up drinks while one harried waitress took orders from the seated patrons. Buoys and lifesavers splashed bright color across the slatted wood walls, and the smell of fried seafood wafted powerfully from the direction of the kitchen. The room was buzzing with conversation and pulsing with excitement. Ren felt her heart beat a little quicker and a grin overtake her face.

She drifted outside with the rest of the mingling trainers to find the large stone patio being cleared. She grabbed the end of one of the remaining picnic tables with some of the others and set it down in the sand in line with the rest now encircling the patio.

“Hey, y’all! Listen up now!” A voice boomed from an amp near the side door. The buzz quieted and everyone’s attention turned to a girl who couldn’t have been over twelve, mic in one hand and the other thrown in the air, standing on a crate to see over the sea of heads.

“This is your Master of Ceremonies, your Officiator of Fun and your ultimate Judge of Battle Badassery, KAT KORRAAAAA!”

The regulars roared their approval while some of the new initiates clapped unevenly in confusion. Ren whooped. After an appropriate amount of adoration, the girl lowered her hand and all fell quiet.

“Let me lay out the rules for the new blood and all them that’s just passing through. All matches are one v one, standard League rules. The first tournament is for greenhorns through two badges. Next is for three and four badges, so on and etc. You get the idea. Winner of each tourney gets as many free drinks as they can knock back! Remember, you can only lose once, but you can win again and again so step right up hopefuls, gather round spectators and prepare yourselves for the BEATDOWN!”

Ren waded through the crowd and wrote her name in the bracket beside the building. Spectators filled the picnic tables while pokemon took the edge of the patio for a better view. Ren and her competitors surveyed each other appraisingly.

“I’m seeing a lot of plant, dark, and fire-types.” Ren whispered down to her team. “This is yours to win, Iki!”

Iki was trembling, but she nodded resolutely. 

Pride mixed with excitement rushed through Ren’s veins and had her tingling down to her toes by the time her first match was called. Her opponent sent in a Houndour against Iki, and Ren glimpsed Akahana don a matching grin.

Ren had Iki douse the ring with Water Sport to dampen its fire and use the puddle to hydroplane around its jaws. A Quick Attack to each flank had it staggering and third to its shoulder brought it down before it had managed to land a single hit. The swiftness and decisiveness of the victory caused a moment of quiet before Kat shattered it with her judgement and sent Iki skittering back between Ren’s legs. 

They faced a Seedot in the next round, which proved tougher. But Ren correctly guessed that its joints were the most vulnerable, and Iki had the precision to follow through with Fell Stinger. The third round was a Numel whose combination of Magnitude and Flame burst had Iki quaking, but once again she didn’t freeze and it succumbed. The fourth was a Cacnea, whose troublesome Sand Attack they beat back with Bubblebeam. It was difficult to land any effective hits without getting in range of its Needle Arm, but they managed to distract and encumber it enough to get a decisive hit on its vulnerable crown.

The crowd grew more and more raucous as each successive tier of the bracket filled until the final battle was announced. A trainer with a mohawk and piercings stepped into the ring with his Boldore opposite Ren and Iki. 

Finally a real challenge! Ren felt her body lower and her hands come up like she was preparing for a judo bought, and Iki mimicked the stance in front of her. The other trainer sneered and his Boldore postured to play to the crowd. It was about four times Iki’s size and must have been near ten times her weight. They would have to be quick and careful to beat it, but that was where they excelled.

> ** _You seem to think of your confidence as a weakness of late, but to my mind, it is perhaps your greatest strength._ **
> 
> “Thinking I could handle things I couldn’t has gotten pokemon killed! You _know_ that! You’ve seen it!”
> 
> ** _I disagree. Look again, Ren. Look harder._ **

Ren and Iki waited for the opening move they knew was coming, and the Surskit sprang to the side to dodge the rock launched at her. It shattered by Ren’s feet, but she felt rather saw it as her eyes followed Iki’s zig-zagging path around the edge of the ring. Three more rocks narrowly missed before the attack was spent, but by then Iki had lined up a clear shot and hit it square in the leg with Bubble Beam.

The Boldore stumbled in surprise, but then leapt back at her with a Smackdown. Instead of running, Ren had Iki parry with Fell Stinger, which unbalanced and sent it stumbling back.

The crowd roared almost as loud as Ren’s heart in her ears, the pitch of it climbing at her audacity. But Iki paid the price when her own unsteady legs failed to carry her out of range of a Headbutt. The crowd gasped as the force of it pinned her to the ground. There was no getting away this time, and the Boldore raised a leg to stomp her. 

But Ren didn’t reach for her ball or call their surrender. Instead her command rang out in the relative quiet as the audience anticipated the end. Iki raised her head and blasted the Boldore point blank in the face with Bubble Beam. It staggered as the first bubbles exploded against it, wobbled as Iki pressed the attack, and collapsed as Ren and Iki’s strength outlasted it. 

The crowd went absolutely wild. People and pokemon were jumping and screaming and cheering. Iki didn’t jump this time. Instead, light suffused her and a breeze rushed out from her, quieting the crowd.

Iki emerged from the shell of light looking unlike any of the many Masquerain varieties in Ren’s Pokedex. Her head was crowned with a pointed, golden helm with a plume of red rising from the back. Her false eyes were a stark and hypnotizing contrast of black and white, and her mask was a deep shade of pink. She was amazing.

“What a tournament! What an upset!” Kat yelled over the mic. “Folks, it looks like we have our winner! Give it up for Ren Kosugi and her MVP, Iki the Surskit!” The crowd cheered wildly again and the girl waited for a lull to continue. “Or should I say Masquerain? Let’s congratulate her on that awesome evolution!” The cheering picked up again, but this time with more applause and a few lycan-whistles. “I think we can all agree we’ve never seen a bug quite like that folks! What a sweep! Be sure to collect your reward, Ren!”

Iki’s head was tilted down, trying to catch her reflection in the sheen of water over slate.

“Iki!” Ren called. 

Iki turned and looked up, but her eyes found Akahana instead. The Poochyena’s black lips curved upward in a rare smile. Iki’s wings began to beat furiously, propelling her up several feet before she got them under control. Ren ran to her rescue, scooping Iki up and hugging her in her arms.

“You look awesome, little bug! I’m so proud!” 

Ren felt Iki press her face into her shoulder. “Thank you.”

In another moment, Ren loosened her grip enough to look down at her pokemon “So do you believe me yet?”

Iki took a moment to answer, but there was hope and happiness in her eyes.

“Yeah.”

* * *

Later that night in their room in the Pokemon Center, Ren was drifting off on a bunk with Akahana already snoozing beside her, when a low whistle pulled her back to consciousness. It repeated, sharper this time.

“Iki!” It was Māia.

Ren cracked an eye open and saw Iki’s red plume jolt in the shade-filtered moonlight.

“Y-yes?”

“The others and I wanted to congratulate you on your evolution,” said Panahi gently.

“Really?”

There were murmurs of ascent all around.

“Of course, dear. You worked very hard, and you did so well. We were all impressed.”

Iki fidgeted in her cushion. “Oh, wow, thank you. I-I mean that’s very kind. I didn’t think I was doing that great…”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” hissed Māia. “That tournament was awesome!”

“Especially that last battle!” Tāraki gushed. “The way you received that Smackdown with your head spike!” He was on his feet, imitating the motion with the frond sprouting from his head.

“That took guts!” Said Māia. “And I would know.”

Iki was quiet for a moment, then ventured: “because your ability is called Guts?”

“Yeah!”

“Oh.” Then Iki let out a little tinkling sound that might have been a giggle. 

Ren pressed her hands over her mouth to stop herself from squealing and giving herself away.

> “You see?”
> 
> ** _Yes. I see a trainer who cares very deeply about her pokemon and their happiness._ **
> 
> “I—You!—Don’t laugh at me after being so kind!”
> 
> ** _Only if you cease mocking your virtues._ **

“Personally I liked the way you used Water Sport to speed yourself up and Bubble Beam to slow the others down,” said Hakeka. “I didn’t know you were so clever.”

“Ren helped me with—”

The Shroomish interrupted before Ren could: “still, props on the execution.” Iki did not deflect again and Hakeka continued. “Now that you’re talking to us, I’ve got a question for you—if I may?”

“Um, sure. What is it?”

“Why do you hang out with the grumpy Poochyena so much?”

Ren saw Iki rise up off her cushion, false eyes flaring. “Aka is not grumpy! She’s really nice!”

“Yeah, lay off her, Hakeka!” Māia chirped. “Akahana defeated me in battle. She’s super cool!”

“Whoa! Alright, okay. Clearly I’ve been missing out on something.”

Tāraki started giggling, and soon the rest of them joined in until Panahi gently shushed them and made them go to sleep.

* * *

Ren wove between the colorful stalls of Slateport’s central market, laden down with bags and Panahi perched on her shoulder. The crowds dissipated as she made her way north to a small park in the shadow of a large, gaudily decorated building. She collapsed onto a bench by a fountain that shot elegant arcs of water from the snouts of patinated copper Horsea, Seadra, and a single Kingdra atop the rest. Panahi hopped down to float in the pool and Ren leaned back to let the mist cool her face.

“I hate shopping.”

“Well I love it!” Panahi declared, paddling around placidly behind her.

“Happy you’re a trainer’s pokemon now?”

“I can no longer deny it has its benefits.”

“That necklace was one pricey battle item, so I’m glad you’re happy with it.”

Panahi huffed. “You think I got this for me? Please, Honey, this is a service to humanity! Just look at me. I’m radiant!”

Ren craned her neck at an awkward angle to watch the Wingull puff out her chest with pride. The cerulean jewels twinkled in their web of delicate silver chains like the warm shallows off the beach. Ren hoped the rest of her team was half as pleased with their gifts as Panahi seemed to be.

Ren sat up as people began to pour out of the building opposite, their excited murmuring overtaking the peaceful splashing of the fountain behind her. Some of them dispersed, but many hung around—in anticipation of what, Ren couldn’t be sure.

“Goodness, that’s a sizable flock,” Panahi commented.

Ren shaded her eyes and squinted to read the golden lettering above the doors. “Oh, it’s a contest hall. One must have ended.”

“Are contests where pokemon put on performances instead of battling?”

“I think so? I’m not so sure exactly what happens. We don’t have them in Johto.”

The crowd suddenly parted to make way for a news crew as a woman in a frilly costume and her equally adorned Altaria emerged. She smiled wide as she answered questions and the pair posed for pictures.

“Must be some life,” Panahi sighed.

Ren turned back to her, and all bubbly satisfaction from earlier was gone. Panahi absently preened one of her primaries that was nicked by a move the day before.

Ren sucked on her tongue as she fought with herself about what to say. “Ahi, you know you don’t have to be a battler, right?”

“Don’t worry about me, Honey,” Panahi said, brushing the thought aside with a wing. “I don’t mind pulling my weight, even if I’m not as enthused as the chicks.” She yawned. “I could use a nap though.” Ren pulled Panahi’s pokeball off her belt. “Send one of the others out to keep an eye on the shopping,” Panahi instructed sternly before tapping the button and flowing inside.

Ren turned the ball over in her hands. She’d have to think of something. But maybe now wasn’t the time.

> ** _Does this Ren seem selfish to you? Impulsive?_ **
> 
> “I suppose not. No… I guess I have been a little hard on myself lately.”

Ren stowed Panahi’s ball and tapped Iki’s. The Masquerain emerged in a flash of red light.

“Do you mind being out for a bit? It’s fine if you’re still tired from last night.”

“No, I don’t mind.”

She drifted on whirring wings and landed with the tips on the surface of the pool, hydrophobic coating keeping her afloat while Ren set up her vapor box. She lowered her purchases into it, watching them melt into the wood one by one. Behind her, Iki was staring down at her reflection. She raised her false eyes for a moment and then slowly let them droop. Ren opened the last package instead of stowing it and held it out for Iki to see. 

“These are for you.”

Iki snapped out of her contemplation and peered at the pair of polished blue stones instead. “So pretty.”

“They’re mystic water gems. You can wear them in battle to boost the power of Bubble Beam.”

“Oh, that’s so kind of you. Thank you, Ren.”

“I thought we could mount them on your helmet instead of a necklace. What do you think?”   
Iki tilted her head, watching the sunlight play through them. “I’d like that.”

“Great! The vendor said we could go back and she’d help me attach them.”

Someone passed by them, and Ren’s eyes caught on a dark, tattooed forearm. She glanced up and, even in profile, the broken nose and scared lip were unmistakable. Ren jumped to her feet.

“_Josh!_” The tall, gangly teen startled and stopped in his tracks, shoulders hunching. “What are you doing here?”

He turned around slowly. “Hey, R-ren.”

Ren’s cheeks puffed out as she bit back whatever she was planning to say. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. “How do you know my name?”

“They, uh, s-s-said. On the news.”

“Right. _Shit._”

“I d-d-d-d—” He stopped, took a breath. “Your f-father is a gym leader?”

“Yeah, um—”

“Wow, your M-m-masquerain is—wow.”

“I know! Isn’t she beautiful?” He nodded and Iki glanced between them, pink mask flushing redder. Then Ren remembered who she was talking to and the warm feeling vanished as quickly as it had come over her. “Wait! Stop that right now! We are not friends, Josh. Remember? I didn’t call you over for small talk!”

Josh flinched and looked down at his feet. “R-right, yes, yeah, of course… Sorry.”

“Good. Now, what are you doing here?”

“N-n-nothing! N-not st-st-stealing! J-j-j-j-j—I’m running some errands!”

“You can’t even lie properly? Why did they hire you?”

Josh swallowed hard, eyes scrunching closed for a second as his adam’s apple bobbed. “Who? What—”

“Cut the crap! You aren’t just some thief trying to make a quick buck.”

“No!” His brows lowered into a scowl, then his eyes widened as he realized his mistake. 

“You work for Magma. You’re here for them. What are they doing here, Josh?”

“I’m not—They—N-n-nothing illegal! A n-normal errand! I have to go!” Josh took off running and Ren ran after him.

> “Ah, so this is why we’re here?”
> 
> ** _You would rather move on?_ **
> 
> “I know our first two meetings were important but— I’d rather not dwell on this one. Makes me feel stupid. I should have seen that stunt he pulled on Mt. Pyre coming.”
> 
> ** _I had thought his actions there might have gone some way towards mending things. But perhaps you did not see?_ **
> 
> “See what?”
> 
> ** _He followed you to the peak. He risked his life to make sure you were unharmed and in safe hands._ **
> 
> “Oh… I suppose that makes us even again. But, uh, what did you want ask about this moment?”
> 
> ** _Why did you confront him?_ **
> 
> “Ah, that’s fair. Of course I wanted my involvement with Magma to be over after what happened in Granite Cave. But it also made it hard for me to _not_ be involved. I couldn’t just let him go and learn later on that I could have helped but did nothing… Oh, I think I see your point.”

Before Josh had run thirty feet, he stopped abruptly and Ren nearly crashed into him. He pulled something out of hip bag as she recovered her balance and pressed it into her hands.

“This is for you.”

Ren was so startled that took it without thinking. It was something light and flat in a brown paper bag. She reached in and pulled out a TM.

“What—?” She meant to ask him, but he was already gone. “Ugh! What the hell was that? He just—and I—I can’t believe he tricked me into taking this! He probably stole it!” She flipped the TM over and growled in pure frustration. “Smackdown? What kind of joke is this? Why that beanpole son-of-a—”

“Maybe it’s not a joke,” said Iki by her ear.

“What?”

“Maybe it’s a gift. You did save his life.”

“That doesn’t mean he wasn’t just trying to…” Ren trailed off and took a breath. “You know, you’re probably right.” Ren cast around one last time before returning to her abandoned vapor box on the bench. She stowed it and Iki’s gems in her shoulder bag. “Let’s go get you fixed up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why i got stuck on this chapter since I liked this section of the original, but here we are. I did a lot of shuffling things around, so I hope it came out okay in the end. I love my children regardless.  
Also, Hoenn has some great random NPCs and the little girl outside the Seashore House is one of my top faves, so she had to make it in. In my head, she's the one that came up with the idea for the tourneys to draw in some more business. It's working out great and her dad is putting all the extra money in her college fund.
> 
> I made an entire chapter out of grinding! Iki was basically unusable before she learned Bubble Beam because she's Modest and had only physical moves. _Shakes fist at Fell Stinger for sounding cool and being useless!_ But I love the Surskit line, so I decided to buckle down and train her until she could actually win some fights herself. 
> 
> Characters  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zinnia and Aster steal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's _Running Hot_'s anniversary once again! So have this Zinnia extra early! I also have some additional content I'll link in the end note in case y'all are curious ;)

Stern Shipyard didn’t have much in the way of security. All Zinnia needed to do to get into the polished engineering suite was to dress the part, swipe a random ID card off some overworked sod nursing his afternoon coffee in the lobby, and act like she knew where she was going. It was actually pretty easy to get into most places. So long as one acted like one belonged, people didn’t really question it. Thus Zinnia had sent the kid on his way as soon as he delivered his report. Better not to have him around bungling things if she didn’t need his help. 

The building was clearly designed by some big-shot architect because the layout was imbecilic. But at least somewhere along the line, someone had thought to put up plaques where the many hallways intersected, so Zinnia located the projects archive without much trouble.

Aster flicked an ear to confirm that no one was inside before they went in. The room was cramped and chilly to keep the servers cool and a good deal less well lit than the overly bright hallway outside. Aster stayed by the door while Zinnia went right to the bank of screens to start her search.

“I don’t like this,” Aster muttered.

“I know, Flower, but who’s going to come in here at four in the afternoon? Workday is almost over. Besides, Maximus has Stern occupied.”

Her first two guess yielded nothing of interest, but her third, Relicanth, was right on the money. She pulled up the sub schematics and transferred a copy to the devise she was given.

“Good to go!”

Aster grunted and they went out the way they’d come. Zinnia dropped the keycard on the lobby floor not far from where she nicked it so that someone would find it and walked out the doors. The ocean was growing darker past the dry-dock to her left, but was a bright, glittering orange on the opposite horizon as the sun settled lower over it.

“Told you it would less than an hour,” said Zinnia to her daughter. “Now we have time to grab something to eat so Datura doesn’t get us back too early. Not so bad after all.”

“_An opportunity in disguise,_” Aster grumbled. “We’re learning so many useful skills.” How did she raise such a sarcastic child?

“Remind me to put them on my resume when this is all over.”

It was a joke of course—the sort Zinnia always made, but her daughter rarely appreciated—built upon the premise that there would be anything afterward for her, that a scenario existed in which she survived this, that she wasn't going to die to save the planet, that they wouldn't fail again and kill everyone. That last one wasn’t even worth entertaining. There was no point. What they were doing was already the height of desperation. 

As for the rest? Zinnia had squared with her death long ago. It had clung close for years now, so familiar that it was almost comforting. All was in order. 

Except that they’d be separated again—for none knew how long this time. That was the only part that was hard to bear. So she joked about the life they would have after. Because that fanciful sliver was all she would get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters:  
  
Just wanted to thank y'all real quick for reading. This story means a lot to me and I'm super grateful for every comment.  
Anyway, I've made character sheets for the whole cast with fun "dex entries" about the variants etc. which you can find [here](https://nuzlockeforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/running-hot.2193/) under the Characters spoiler. There's more art by other talented people under the Extras spoiler. And lastly I'll link Ren's playlist on [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW38FGy1A56TYyofwJBHQ_SPusnkvY5Gi). It's an eclectic mix since I tend to pick lyrics over sound for these and also I have weird taste. Enjoy!


End file.
